The Month of Love
by Kayla-Peixis
Summary: Or the month of shipping. All February I will try to update one ship a day with a range from fluff to sadstuck to humanstuck AU's and actually canon like things. Request for ships or prompts are welcome (seriously there like 28 days in this month and I have like only 14 ready. I need help)
1. Eridan and Nepeta

**A/N: Hello! I'm starting another story. Well stories more like. I've never tried writing fluff or one shorts so this was a chance to try both. Honestly some of these aren't as good as I want so I decided to start with this one because even if not many people ship it I liked how this one turned out. Also I may not be able to update everyday. I will try my best but either I'm busy and/or I just couldn't get one done. It hard for me to write short things. Now enough of me rambling. In the true spirit of February, the month of love/shipping, we begin with a Nepeta ship.**

**Ship: Eridan and Nepeta**

**Words: 1,540**

**Warnings: Some sadstuck and major character death (note neither Eridan nor Nepeta are the character who dies)**

**Note: I'm sorry if I miss a w or a v for Eridan or miss a cat pun for Humanstuck around the age of 17.**

Every day I go to the dock, alone. Sure, there are much better things I could be doing. I don't even like the beach much anymore. Bad memories and, even worse, good memories, live here at this very beach. I could be loads of places that don't have these bad memories. The movies, my house, I even heard Sol was having a party today and I could be there. But I'm not. I'm at Zephyr Beach, alone, just like every day, watching waves crash against the beach, seeing people walking along the coastline. The sun is setting slowly, the sky set up in a million colors. Well not really at all. Just oranges and red and fuschia. That was Fef's favorite color. She said it calmed her down. I don't know how long I plan to stay here today. Sometimes I stay hours while other days I stay mere minutes. But I always come. Not like I have anything to do anyway. Poor Eridan Ampora, all alone, no friends. Whatever. I'd much rather be here, eyes closed, listening to the waves crash and sea gulls then be out with anyone who went to my stupid school.

I hear footsteps behind me and suddenly I'm not so alone. I know who is there so I don't bother to open my eyes. She almost always comes, whenever she can catch me looking out on the shore. We sit in silence together, sometimes talking, sometimes silent. I lean up against the railing that keeps little kids from falling ten feet into the sand below. After a few minutes of silence she starts talking.

"Hey Eridan." I open my eyes and look at her. She isn't looking at me, she's looking out on the ocean. I hate to say it but she's quite adorable. It's nice how she comes and leans on the fence with me. If I had to say I had one friend, it'd be her.

"Hey," I say quietly, turning my attention back to the shore line.

"It's Friday," she says, turning to face me. I glance over at her to see her smiling, green eyes sparkling.

"And a long wweekend comin up." I say dully. I hate long weekends. At least school gives me something to do. Also she can never come visit on weekends.

"Yeah. I'm going to my aunt's house. Bluh. She's so annoying! Anyway, how was your week?"

I shrug, "fine I guess." It wasn't fine though. It sucked, worse than most weeks, but she doesn't need to know that.

"It wasn't fine was it?" She says quietly. Ugh, why does she have to see though me so well?

"It wwas fine." I feel bad for lying "Honestly." She looks like she's going to push it but she lets it go. Then she doesn't.

"Was he bothering you again?" She drops her usual quirk, proving to me she's serious.

"Wwhat? Yeah kinda. He's just an idiot anywway. That's not it." I pause then realize something "If anythin wwas bothering me it's that."

"Really? I've met Pawlux befur and he didn't seem that bad but if what mew say is true then he really needs to stop." There she is with the puns again. How come I always fall for girls who use puns?

"I don't care about Sol anymore. He's not wworth my time," I say and I mean it. "He can go…die for all I care." The words feel sharp on my lips. Don't you remember what happened last time you told someone to go die Eridan?

She doesn't say anything for a while and the subject of my week and Sol is dropped. She starts talking again. "So who mew waiting for?" It's a routine of ours. Every day she asks who I'm waiting for.

"A girl," I say curtly.

"A girl? What does she look like?" Like always, she just wants more details.

"Wwell she had long blond beautiful hair and blue eyes that wwould sometimes turn sea green. And she was tan from all the hours she spent at the beach. She lovved the ocean and the beach. This beach actually. That's wwhy I'm wwaitin here. I knoww she'll come back." Was and had were very important words in those sentences. "I actually don't know. I'm just hopin either she'll come back or show me somehow she forgivves me."

"That's why you wait here? Beclaws mew think she'll come back?" Nep's eyes are closed while she imagines the girl in her mind. No matter what she sees in her mind cannot compare to what Fef used to look like. No one can imagine how she was.

"Yeah. If she comes back anywwhere, it'll be here."

"Why are you waiting for her at all Mr. Ampurra?" She'd asked that before but I'd never answered. I'd just stare at the sand and say 'Too many reasons'. Maybe today Nep deserved her answer.

"You see Nep, I havve a lot of explainin to do. I really need to tell her I'm sorry. There's stuff she needs to knoww."

"Now tell me Eridan, what do mew have to be sorry for? Why does this girl need to furgive you? Furrom efurything you've told me about your life, the rest of the world should be asking mew for furrgiveness." She's staring straight at me, as if daring me to say I've done something wrong.

"Too many reasons. I have to tell her I didn't mean it. Wwhen I told her that I…" I could barely get the words out. My voice drops to a whisper "wwhen I told her I hated her. Wwhen I told her to die."

"Eridan, if mew have to say all that, if she knows you long enough to know what you have to tell her, why hasn't she come?"

I was quiet. I couldn't tell the truth. Well I could, I just didn't want to. "Somethin's holding her back. Somethin's not letting her come and see anyone."

"Who or what is this 'something?'"

I was quiet for a long time and maybe Nep thought I wasn't going to answer. "I am. I'm the reason she can't come." I look up at Nepeta, into her green eyes. They're beautiful. "You remind me of her," I say softly. Then I drop my voice so quiet somewhat hoping she won't hear me. "If anyone wwas going to make me forget her, it'd be you."

We were silence for a long time "If I were her," Nepeta says, breaking the silence "I would come see you and furrgive you." I close my eyes, not looking at Nepeta because she might see the tears in my eyes. I could still hear Fef's last words in my mind. 'Fine. I understand. Good bye Eridan.' Then she left, tears in her eyes. That was the last time I saw here. Then it happened. I got the phone call at 1 o'clock in the morning, telling me the love of my life was gone. It was almost ironic. My pretty little fish girl, drowned.

"Did you knoww," I say slowly, "that there are grave yards underwwater?" It had been the obvious place to bury her. Again, ironic in a way.

"A graveyard? No I didn't know that," she says, looking at the sea again.

"An underwwater cemetery," I say.

"Really? That'd be a cool place to be buried. It may confurse furture archeologists." I laugh a bit.

"I guess it wwould, wwouldn't it?" I think about people finding Fef's body in the future. It's a weird thought. "Nep, I nevver asked. How was your wweek?"

"It was fine." She says looking at the ground. "But you see, one of my furiends is a bit depressed."

"Really? Wwho?" I ask, somewhat interested. "Is it you? Because of Kar?" I didn't know Karkat yet had given him his own nickname. I just had to shorten things. Force of habit.

"What? No, not me. I-I think I'm over Karkat."

"Karkat?" I ask.

"Karkitty." She corrects herself with a smile.

"So wwhich of your friends is sad Nep?"

"Just this boy," she says, turning to face me.

"Wwhy's he depressed?"

"He's waiting for someone who will never come." Then I realize she's talking about me. She lets out a sigh. "It's late Eridan. I have to go home. I have a feline I'm going to be waiting on my furiend fur a while." She turned and walked away down the boardwalk.

And in that moment, watching her walk away, arms wrapping her coat around her as the ocean breeze blows around her, I realize what I have to do.

"I miss you Fef," I whisper to the wind "and I'm so so sorry. I miss your smile and I'm sorry I said those things or ever hurt you. But I think I might be wwaiting on the wwrong girl." I turned down the board walk and yelled out "NEP!" she turned around to face me while I ran to catch up with her.

"Hey Nep," I say, "I think I'm done wwaiting for her. She's not going to come." Then I lean down a bit and kiss her on the lips. She blushes, then kisses me back.

And in that moment, my life starts again.


	2. Nepeta and Sollux

**Ship: Sollux and Nepeta**

**Words: 1,500**

**Warnings: nothing**

**Note: Sorry if I miss a cat or sea pun. Humanstuck AU (AGAIN) age 16-17.**

I met Sollux in 3rd grade when he moved here from Nebraska. I had a crush on him ever since 4th. I stopped having a crush on Karkitty in 7th grade when he made out with Terezi behind the bleachers during the school dance, but I didn't stop having a crush on Sollux in 8th grade when he dated Aradia for a bit. I didn't even stop when I dated Feferi for a bit this year, my third year in high school. And I definitetly had a crush now, maybe even more than a crush.

How could you not have a crush on your boyfriend?

We're on a double date with Eridan and Feferi, oddly both of our ex's. Why Eridan and Sollux ever dated is beyond me. It's a horrible ship in my opinion. Whatever. Even though Sollux wasn't really 'friends' with Eridan I'm friends with Feferi as is Sollux, so we agreed to this whole double date thing. It was obviously a bad idea. Feferi and Eridan got in a fight for whatever reason and Sollux and I were pretty much just awkwardly watching in the middle of Olive Garden (which is obviously the most romantic place on earth). I'd never seen them fight, at least not like this. Every ship has its rough waters, right? Maybe this was normal. I had no idea. I'd only ever dated Feferi and Sollux. Sollux sighed and started talking.

"ED, why don't you just thut up for once? Thith is really thtupid." What was it about his lisp that made my stomach filled with butterflies? Most people just thought his lisp was stupid.

"Shut up Sol. This isn't about you for once," Eridan snapped back.

"Don't tell Sollux to shut up! I don't care if you don't like him, he's my frond! So shut up!" Feferi said angrily. I'd never really seen her fight before. Kind of weird.

"Wwhatevver Fef. You just wwant him to help you out because you know I'm right."

"I, unlike you, don't have to steal my comebacks from other people."

"As if. Fef, you've nevver made up anythin on your owwn before."

"Well at least people don't date me out of pity!"

"I wwouldn't be so sure of that."

"Pawlicks," I whispered, "let's go." He nodded and I slipped out of the booth unnoticed, leaving some money for whoever ended up paying. It was around 9 o'clock and Sollux and I were standing outside Olive Garden in the cold.

"Well that wasn't awkward at all," I said, rolling my eyes.

"I agree. I thought a double date could be an OK idea. Gueth we thould know better than to do it with ED." I laughed a bit. "So where to now NP?"

I shrugged "I don't care. My place?"

"Anywhere you want." We got into his car. "Your place thounds good. Mituna's probably home and that's no fun." I nodded. After we got back onto the main road I turned on the radio.

"Oh! I love this song!" I exclaimed as Counting Stars came on.

"Oh really? I've think you mentioned that once or twice. Or maybe a few under a million." I rolled my eyes and hit him gently in the arm.

"Oh shut up Pawlicks!" I hummed to the tune of the song, looking out the car window at the city rushing by. I saw Sollux smile a bit and I smiled too. It was the moments like this I loved. Sitting in the car humming songs while speeding down the highway, holding hands while walking in Mind Park, Skyping with him late at night, being as quiet as possible so my mom didn't hear. The little things that made life perfect.

The chorus comes on in Courting Stars and I simply could not resist the urge to sing any longer.

"Lately I've been I've been losing sleep." I glanced at Sollux but he didn't look my way. It was an inside joke between us that I would always try to make him sing along with me. I started to sing louder. "Dreaming about the things that we could be." Louder, loud enough he definitely hears me, but not so loud that I'm no longer singing. "But baby, I've been, I've been playing hard." I nudge Sollux in the shoulder with my elbow, "said no more counting dollars-"

"We'll be counting stars," he finishes. I just love his voice when he sings. He doesn't usually lisp which is funny. "Happy Nepeta?"

"Very," I said with a purr, "Very happy." Just as the song ends we pull up into my driveway. Meulin's off in college and my mom was at work so we had the house to ourselves.

"So whacha wanna do?" I asked, opening the front door.

"I don't care. What about you?" I shrugged and we went upstairs into my TV room. I sat down on the couch and he went over to my movie rack and looked though them.

"The Exorcist, Paranormal Activity, The Shining….NP I didn't know you liked horror movies. Didn't theem like your thing." He seemed slightly in shock and I would be too in his place.

"Actually most of those are Meulin's old movies she and he boyfriend would watch together. I've never watched a horror movie before."

"Well then, let'th watch thome." He said with a smile.

"Uh, are you sure Pawlicks? I've never watched one before and…" He walked over and gave me a quick hug, shutting me up.

"Come on Nep. We have nothing better to do and you'll watch one eventually. Why not now? Bethideth," he said with another smile, "I'm here to protect you right?" I rolled my eyes, but secretly was happy he was here.

"Fine. We'll have a horror fest. I'll get popcorn and blankets while you pick some out." He grinned, like he won, then went back to the movie rack. I went downstairs and got some soda and popcorn along with overly fluffy blankets and came back, arms filled. He had a couple of movies picked out and I sat on the couch while he got ready. I was secretly nervous and hoped it didn't show. There were a lot of things I'd never done that most kids had, like my first kiss, skipping school, or telling someone I loved them. Sollux popped the first Saw movie into DVD play and sat down next to me, opening his soda.

"You ready?" He asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be," I said, my voice shaking. I found myself cuddling him and he wrapped his arms around me as the movie started.

An hour and a half later I was curled up into a ball, shaking a bit, Sollux still hugging me.

"You okay Nepeta? You kinda thcreamed a bit." I pulled myself out of my ball and turned to him.

"I-I'm fine. It was just a bit scary you know."

"It wathn't that bad. Ready for the next one?" I nodded slowly and he got up and walked over, putting the next movie in.

"Which one is this?" I asked as he sat back down.

"Friday the 13th," he replied, taking another handful of popcorn.

We spent the rest of the night watching horror movies. Sometimes I ended up hugging Sollux so tightly I swear I pushed the air out of him. After finishing Friday the 13th, The Shining, and Paranormal Activity I knew there was no chance of my going to sleep that night. We listened to a song I've never heard play on the end credits of Paranormal Activity when Sollux looked at me.

"Nepeta you know if we were in a horror movie I'd do anything to let you live."

This somewhat surprised me. I didn't know what to say so I took it as a joke, "Like we'd ever be in a situation like that."

"I'm therious Nepeta. I'd let you live over me. I'd give up my life for you."

"Really?" I say looking up at him.

"Really." We were silent for a few seconds, "Nepeta, I think I love you."

"I love you too Sollux." I didn't even hesitate.

He hugged me tighter. "Thank you. I mean, thankth for thaying you love me. I mean-ugh!" I laughed a tiny bit.

"Pawlicks, I'm not going to fall asleep tonight." I looked around. All the lights were turned off and I was suddenly even more scared.

"Don't worry Nep. I'll be here to protect you." He leaned down and kissed my forehead. "I'll always be here." I blush a ton. That was the first time he ever kissed me, even if it wasn't on the lips. I had butterflies in my stomach. I felt no regret leaning up and kissing him on the lips. His lips were soft and the kiss was light and gentle and both our faces turned red with blush, but I could barely see in the dim light.

I cuddled into him more. "I'll always be here too Pawlicks," and I fell asleep in his arms.


	3. Dave and John Number One

**Ship: John and Dave**

**Words: 1,672**

**Warnings: This one's pretty much all sadstuck and like 0 fluff. Sorry**

**Note: Humanstuck/no Sburb AU (they never mention the trolls so I guess Humanstuck?) and if you didn't pick up on it in the story, John has amnesia. ALSO in this month of shipping there will be not one, but two davejohn one shots because 1. It' my OTP and 2. I made this sadstuck and all you davejohn shippers deserve a happy one **

"So this was my room?" John asked, sitting criss-cross on his bed, looking around at everything.

"Yep," I said nonchalantly, picking up an old GameBro magazine off his desk. John stood up and put his hand on a Nic Cage poster before moving on randomly touching posters or grabbing things off the ground. This was the first time he'd been in his room since the accident. There was silence between us, but it wasn't awkward. I felt like I was somewhat intruding.

John broke the silence. "This all seems strangely familiar." I laughed a bit.

"Well you did spend most of your life in here."

"I know Dave. That's the problem. It doesn't feel familiar enough." He sat back down on his bed, looking at the ground. I think I understood what he meant but I didn't know what to say. Back before the accident I always knew what to say and what to do. Now I had no idea. I walked over to his computer.

"You spent hours here, talking to Jade and Rose." I paused for a moment before adding, "and me."

"I-I think I talked to you the most," he said, looking up at me uncertainly.

"You sure Egderp?"

He shook his head, "I'm not sure of anything anymore."

For some reason hearing that hurt me, deep inside. "Don't say that Egderp. Come on, daily test."

He groaned, "do we have to?"

"Come on you know the drill. Every day, once or more."

"Fine. Make it quick ok? Rose's tests last forever."

"Fine. Nice and quick for you." I paused a second before beginning, "first off, who are you?"

"John Egbert," he replied, bored.

"How old are you?"

"17."

"How many days have you been awake?"

"Uh…nine."

"What's my name?"

"Dave Strider."

"How old am I?"

"17 and a half." He rolled his eyes while saying this. I never let him forget I was slightly older than him.

"What color are my eyes?" He was slightly taken aback. I'd never asked that before.

"I-I don't know."

"Did you ever know?" Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes. Please remember that night I told you everything. The night I showed you my eyes. The night I told you I loved you.

The night I never knew if you loved me back.

"I…I don't think so." My dreams shattered, yet outside I tried to look unfazed. I went on with the next question, not breaking my pace.

"What's your sister's name?"

"Jade Harley."

"What's my sister's name?"

"Dave is this necessary?"

"Fine, fine. Questions done for today," I said not so reluctantly.

"Hey Dave?" John asked. I looked up at him, "what were we talking about before the car crash?'

I stood still. Should I tell him? We had been in the back seat of the car while Jade was driving when the drunk driver hit us. Should I tell him?

"Nothing man. Just bro stuff," I replied, looking away. Minutes passed in silence before John asked me another question

"Who's that?" he asked, pointing to one of his posters.

"That?" I asked, looking up "Nic Cage. You used to looove him."

"Really? Isn't that…you know…gay?" he asked, confused. I laughed.

"I guess, but it's fine really. No homo," I joked. But I really didn't feel like joking now. "But you and Cage were different. Celebrity kinda crush thing. Not really gay."

"Oh," he said quietly. I could tell something was on his mind.

"Hey Dave."

"Yeah?" I asked, looking through some of his stuff slowly. Pictures of us, pictures of him and Jade, the four of us together. I put them down and faced John.

"Uh….what does being in love feel like?" he said slowly. Over the last few days I had explained a lot to John. How things worked, who he was, stuff like that. Even some emotions, like pain and happiness. This was a new one though.

"Well that's a new one Egderp, let's see." I sat down on the chair next to his computer. "Love is like a roller coaster." Yeah a ton of people describe it like that don't they? "You know what a roller coaster is?" he nodded and I went on, "but you see this roller coaster's weird. Almost everyone in the world's riding it and it ends differently for everyone and you never know how or when it's going to end. It's a two seat ride and you have no idea who's on the other side, and at some point after riding with someone for a bit you get to choose to keep going or to jump off and be safe and unhurt from what may come. You spend your life trying to find someone who makes the roller coaster worth riding, and no matter what there'll be bumps and twists and turns in the ride, sometimes even mile long drops. But you see, the goal is to find someone you can go the whole ride with, till the very end."

"What if you don't make it to the end?" John asked.

"One of you jumps the shark," I said blankly, before realizing that wasn't how the expression was used.

"I thought we were talking about roller coasters not sharks," he said, confused.

"It's an expression. You'll pick up on it soon."

"Oh, ok. Go on."

"Like I was saying," I said, drawing out my words, "Love is like being lost in the woods, no map, no way to get out, but you're not looking for a way out. You're looking for another person, a particular other person. Sadly, you don't know who that person is. Whenever you find someone you ask them if they're the one. Sometimes they're lying and say yes, sometimes you think they're the one and they say no. But you can always tell after a while. Maybe one day you'll find the one, maybe you won't. There are a million people in that forest. Maybe you find the one, maybe not. Love is a game of chance." I couldn't stop now, I was on an artistic roll. John was staring at me, waiting to see if I was done. I wasn't.

"Love's like a song."

"A song?"

"Yeah." I walked over and turned his radio on. It was playing one of the songs I made for him. I kept going, "it's a really long song that goes on forever. Sometimes it's a fast fun song, other times it's a sad song, but you can't stop singing. You want to and if you try your best you can, but no matter what you always come back."

I starting talking faster, louder, "it's a movie and you can't leave the theater and sometimes you end up just like Abe Lincoln, a bullet in the back of your head."

"Abe Lincoln? Dave what are you tal-" I kept going, ignoring him.

"It's like a fire, flame glowing bright and alive. It's pretty and you want to touch it. Then you get burned. It's like handing a person a gun, letting them pointing it at your heart and trusting them not to pull the trigger. But sometimes they do it anyway. It's like the wind, like the air or light. It's all around you but you can't see it. But swear to god you feel it. Love is like a musical. The plot may have happened a million times before but suddenly that one person make you feel like it's a whole new show, a better one. Love is like world war three, easy to start, you can make up reasons why it happens, it's hard to stop and you'll never forget it. Love is something that will be burned, stabbed, starved, kicked, punched, strangled, hung and shot but will never, ever, ever die!" I looked at John who was staring at me, confused and slightly startled. Oh crap I scared him.

"Half of that was pretty depressing Dave." Was the first thing he said. Ha! If only he knew.

"I guess this simplest thing is love is happiness, sadness, pain, excitement, all the emotions pushed into one until you're crying while hugging someone, wanting to be with them, hoping they're ok, no matter what. You need that person. Love makes you do the craziest things. It's perfect. Love is wanting to be with someone forever."

"Dave you can sto-"

"Love is everything. Love is love," I paused. "Love is red." Crap did I just unironically quote Taylor Swift at him?

I was finally done. "Wow Dave," John said. "I have no words." He said it sarcastically. I wondered if he secretly meant it. I didn't say anything, staring at the wall while the music played.

"Have you ever been in love?" He asked.

I looked at him. His black hair, his dorky smile, his bright blue eyes behind his glasses. I thought about his laugh that could light up a room, which made you want to laugh too. About the way he never judged anyone, even if you were a red eyed freak. The day I realized I was gay, and told him and he sat in silence before whispering 'can't say no homo anymore can you?' before we had a three hour long feels jam. I thought of our 'bro date' to the amusement park. I thought of the ride back home, quietly whispering, "John I think I love you," while Jade and Rose talked in the front seat. I thought of the moments before he said anything. In those moments the car hit us. In those moments my life changed. I thought of holding his hand, watching the heart monitor, hoping it wouldn't stop, praying to God, who mind you I didn't believe in, that he'd be alright. Those moments when his gorgeous blue eyes fluttered awake. Those moments he asked who I was. Those moments I realized he didn't remember me. The pain I felt when I realized the person I loved more than myself didn't know my name.

"Nah bro," I said calmly, "not yet."


	4. Feferi and Karkat

**Ship: Karkat and Feferi**

**Words: 2,605**

**Warning: none 38)**

**Notes: More fish puns! I did a better job this time I think. Also I seem to be doing a lot of rare pairs in this thing. Oh whale (sea what I did there?) ((get what I also did there?)). This is my OTP though (even more than Dave John) so it had to be done! Enjoy. **

I sighed loudly, "Eridan, I'm sorry but this party blows."

"Ah, Fef don't say that! It's only just started," Eridan said. "You've only been here for an hour anyway."

"It eels more like ten," I muttered. Sure I felt a little guilty for being so harsh on Eridan but he always had these parties he forced me to go to where I knew almost no one. "Look Eridan, it's nice you invited me, but I don't go to your school and I know no one here! Let me just go home." I felt like a total brat. "I mean even this weird dude hit on me."

"Was it my brother?" Eridan asked interrupting me, "'cause he hits on everyone."

"What? No, someone I don't know. Look Eridan I know it's your birthday and I know this sounds shellfish but I'm not having any fun."

"Come on Fef. Just another hour. For me?" He did these big puppy dog eyes and I couldn't say no.

"Fin. One hour. That's it though." He smiled.

"Thanks Fef. You wouldn't regret it!" He gave me a quick hug before becoming lost in the crowd.

I sighed and tried to move though the crowd. It was somewhat bizarre that this many people showed up to Eridan's party. He's my best friend, yes, but he's still a nerd and a hopeless romantic. I managed to get outside onto the beach where there was more room and fewer people. Somewhere music was blaring and Eridan's ex-girlfriend Vriska had started a huge bonfire. I couldn't help but think if this was people from my school I'd be having the time of my life. I'd have Sollux, Aradia, Nepeta and even Tavros. But they weren't. The only people I knew here other then Eridan were Vriska and this one guy that hadn't come.

I decided to go over to the dock because I had nothing better to do. Plus a ton of people were hugging, kissing, or full out making out over here, including two girls I'd seen around earlier. After making it to the end of the dock I took my flip flops off and dipped my feet into the water. I looked out onto the sea then back to the beach. I could easily run off to my house-it was right next door- but loyalty to Eridan held me back. Instead I closed my eyes and let my feet be submerged in the cold water. After a few moments I heard footsteps coming down the dock. I thought was Eridan and opened my eyes but didn't turn around. When the person finally sat down I saw it wasn't Eridan, but the other guy I had been looking for.

"Karcrab!" I exclaimed, moving down the dock and hugging him. I'd missed him. We'd met at one of Eridan's parties and had kept in touch. He instantly shoved me off him, like always. But this time he seemed sadder.

"What's wrong Karcrab?" I asked, concerned.

"Don't talk to me now Feferi!" I backed away a little bit. I was used to Karkat's grumpiness yet he seemed serious this time.

"Sorry," I muttered softly. I looked down into the water, moving my feet around slowly causing mini whirlpools. I could see fish swimming far below which made me smile a tiny bit. I felt stupid because after all these years I still wished I was a mermaid. Sure, it was understandable when I was like eight, but nearly ten years later it was just weird. Of course I knew it was impossible but hey a girl can dream right? I decided to shove away the thought of mermaids and redirected my attention to Karkat.

"Karkat are you ok?"

He was quiet for a few seconds. "I'm sorry I snapped at you like that Feferi. I know you don't like it when I do that."

"What's this? You're actually," I managed a fake gasp, "apologizing?"

"Yeah, yeah whatever Peixes," he said, rolling his eyes.

"So what's wrong Karcrab?"

"Terezi dumped me. Also she's now dating my best friend. Or ex best friend. Plus a ton of other carp."

"Was that a fish pun?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he said, poker-faced. I let it go and decided to comfort him to the best of my ability.

"Karcrab I'm going to hug you now. Are you ok with this?"

He rolled his eyes, "I'll get over it. I'm just pissed my best friend made out with my ex-girlfriend."

"It's ok. Trust me, I was almost in the same position before, just not nearly as bad. It'll get better. Trust me."

"I trust you Peixes. I just want something to get my mind off of it you know? I should probably just leave this stupid party."

"We cod ditch this plaice."

"And go where?"

I shrugged, "my house, downtown, the carnival, anywhere."

"There's a carnival here?" he asked

I let out another fake gasp, "you've never been to the Quartz Carnival? It comes every year!"

"Feferi you know I moved here last year."

"I forgot, but come on! I just have to take you!"

"Fine, whatever. Can you drive?"

"I can walk." So we started walking downtown together to get the Quartz Carnival. We left the party undetected, passing by Terezi who was too busy throwing herself on Gamzee to notice. I squeezed Karkat's arm and we kept walking.

"So Karcrab have you ever been to any carnival before?"

He shook his head, "hey could you please stop with the stupid nickname? I already have too many."

"But Karcrab it's just instinct!" I complained. We'd had this conversation a million times before.

"Too bad there aren't any good ones other then Fef for you, and I'm not calling you that."

"No one can ever think of a good one for me," I said with a smile. It was sad how Karkat never smiled. We walked in mostly silence down uncrowded streets lit only by streetlights. As we approached the carnival the voices and noise got louder and the sand that covered the sidewalk became scarcer, hurting my bare feet more.

"So tonight's the last night of the fair. It may be slightly more crowded," I said as we got closer.

"Whatever. Maybe this is a bad idea. Maybe I should just go home and drown myself in ice cream and self pity."

"No way Karcrab! You're going to this carnival if it kills me!" He put up his hands up reluctantly. We were almost there when I started talking again. "It's weird you're my friend Karcrab. You're nofin like me." _Opposites attract _I can't help but think, but I then pushed it out of my mind. It is no time for my silly crush on him! He was going though emotional trauma. "Like you're always angry. I at least try to hide my anger!"

"Feferi, you haven't seen me that much," he pointed out.

"Doesn't mean I can't tell you like being angry."

He rolled his eyes "Thanks," he said sarcastically. "Really, thanks."

"I'm not done yet Karcrab! I was going to say that I know underneath it all you're so much more the just some angry guy. You can be nice and caring and be upset when your girlfriend dumps you. And maybe, just maybe, you can allow yourself to have fun at a carnival with one of your friends."

"Maybe," he said without looking at me. In the faint light of the fair I could see a tiny bit of blush. Maybe I was simply imagining it.

Finally we were waiting in line for tickets at the fair. "You know, your hair is really weird."

"Wow is it 'Be Rude to Karkat Day' or something? This is the rudest I've ever seen you Feferi."

"I never said bad. Just weird." I reached over and touched it, "and soft!" He moved away.

"Don't," he said glaring at me, "touch my hair." I smiled and giggled a tiny bit, causing him to roll his eyes. Soon we reached the front of the line and I reached for my purse.

"Crap! Feferi we didn't think this though. I don't have any money!" he said, with some genuine distress in his voice.

"Karcrab, if you didn't pick up on this already, I'm paying." I turned away from him, ignoring his protect "Two teenaged tickets please." The lady behind the counter smiled and handed them to us.

"$60 please," she said and I gave her the money. She handed me back our wrist bands. "Have fun!"

"Feferi I can't let you pay that much," Karkat said.

"If you didn't notice, we are already in and I have already paid." He sighed.

"Fine. I'll pay you back later." I rolled my eyes, "Anywave what do we do first?"

"Anyfin you want. It is your first time here and you need to take your mind off stuff. So what first?"

"I have no idea. You choose." I decided not to push it and looked at all the rides around us.

"How about the haunted one?" I asked excitedly.

"No thanks. Like really, no."

"Come on Karcrab! It'll be fun. Unless you're scared."

"Am not! I'll go on the dumb ride, ok?" Karkat could never turn down a challenge, could he? I led him to the so called 'haunted' ride and we waited in line, giving us time to scope out the other rides.

"You know this doesn't look too…safe," he said after hearing more screams coming from inside the ride.

"Oh please. Its fun, trust me! I'll hold your hand if you want me to."

"What! No way!" he said, louder then necessary, making me smile.

Needless to say I held Karkat's hand all though the haunted ride which was a two seater so it was only us. He closed his eyes a lot and let out a freakish girly scream several times. The ride creaked like it might cave in at any second but I knew it wouldn't. Karkat called me crazy for laughing and screamed at every drop but by the time we got out, he was excited and acted as though he wasn't scared at all.

Next we when on a fairly empty ride called the Black Widow and in line both Karkat and I joked about Vriska. The Black Widow pretty much flipped you upside down at an angle and spun you around in a circle. As we got closer to the front of the line Karkat became scared a bit again. I grabbed his arm and dragged him into the seat, and of course it swung us around so we were upside down for a few minutes as others got on the ride.

"Feferi, the blood is all slowly rushing to my head," he said, oddly calm. "Get me off."

"I'll see what I can d- AH!" I was cut off by the ride finally beginning and swinging us full force around and around. He was screaming and I was laughing a crazy laugh only amusement parks can make you laugh. Like, "Oh look I'm going to die, ok, cool," kind of laugh. I could have sworn Karkat started laughing too.

We went on as many rides I could force him on. One that brought you up slowly only to make you drop so fast your stomach ended up in your lungs, one that looked like a pick axe and just swung you back and forth back and forth, one similar to a hang glider, everything. By the end of the night, Karkat was exhilarated.

"That was much better than I expected, even if I feel like puking," he said, with a half smile on his lips.

"Don't you sea?" I laughed a bit, "Ahh fish puns."

"Feferi, no one can tell that's even a pun."

"I can and that's all the matters! So do you want to do some carnival games now?" He nodded and we walked over to the game section together.

"So Karcrab, where do you live? I mean not like stalker like or anyfin jus-" Oh crap I messed up.

"Shut up Feferi. I live in one of those apartments fairly far from the sea with my brother Kankri and my dad."

In between carnival games and Karkat's hopeless rage quitting we talked. He told me about his odd hatred of the color red and how his brother could never shut up and I told him about my sister and how one day I was going to inherit a really big baking company. Eventually, out of patience, I won a small crab plushie and gave it to Karkat.

"Look it's your brethren!" I joked

"Isn't the guy meant to give something to the girl?"

"Fight sexual stereotypes," I said with a shrug and he thanked me as we kept playing games.

"Ok Feferi, don't let me rage quit on this one, ok? Promise me," he said went we reached one of those ones you have to throw a ring on a bottle to win.

"Alright. Why this one?"

"No reason." Man he was bad at lying.

We kept playing for the longest time, me making him keep playing until he finally won the biggest prize, which was a giant dolphin.

"This," he said, handing it to me, "is for everything you've done for me tonight."

"Oh thanks Karcrab!" I hugged it to death then, to his surprise, hugged him. To my surprise he hugged me back. "You're an awesome friend."

"Yeah," he said quietly, "friends."

"So," he said once the hug was broken, "home now?"

"One more ride!" I said with a smile.

"Which one? We've been on nearly all of them."

"The Ferris wheel, duh! Come on." I grabbed his arm and dragged him to the Ferris wheel. The fair was slowly emptying because it was almost closing time on the last day. We got into the ride and rode up to the very top where we stopped while others got on. I looked out over the city lit by street lamps and house lights and let out a satisfied sigh.

"Hey Feferi?" Karkat asked.

"Yeah Karcrab?" I asked, turning my attention back on him.

"Never mind."

"No tell me!" Maybe he was feeling what I was feeling.

"Uh, it's a weird question, but are your parents ever around?" I shook my head.

"I only have my mom and like I said she's owner of this big company and my sister's off doing whatever she's doing," I shrugged, "you?"

"My dad's busy with some political stuff and my brother and I don't get along. Also my mom left us when I was like two."

"That's dumb! Why would she leave someone like you that way?"

"Because Feferi, I'm not anything special."

"Yes you are!" and I meant it.

"No, you are."

"What? No. I'm just another fish in the sea."

"No Feferi, you aren't. You're nice, kind, friendly, willing to be friends with someone like me! I mean all that's impressive. You're also…"

"What?"

"Pretty. Really pretty." I know I'm blushing like crazy but I don't care.

"Why thank you. And for the record, people like you are as rare as pearls in a shell. One of a kind."

He moved closer to me and put his hand on mine. It was midnight and the fireworks shot up, marking the end of the fair. I leaned in and kissed him. On top of the Ferris wheel, overlooking the city, fireworks going off.

"You know when I said you were pretty?" I nodded. "I lied. You're as beautiful as the sea."

"And you Karcrab, despite all your minor flaws, are perfect."


	5. Vriska and Kanaya

**Ship: Kanaya and Vriska**

**Words: 2,005**

**Warnings: none**

**Note: OOC on Vriska and Terezi's behalf. Humanstuck (trust me not all of these will be humanstuck D:) Vriska and Terezi are 17 while Kanaya is 18. Also I still feel bad for what I made Terezi do in this. I know she's not like that. But Vriska, Kanaya and Terezi are my worst to write for. Sorry D:**

"Everything is teeeeeeeerrible," I say, throwing my head back in defeat.

"Vriska please don't draw out your words in such a way. It's quite annoying," Kanaya says, turning the next page in her book, ignoring me. Kanaya was a year older than me and technically my tutor because I was failing math and didn't want to take summer school. Her mother was friends somewhat with my mom and she'd gotten Kanaya to teach me for now. Kanaya and I had always been really close ever since our first play date back in first grade. She taught me how to be slightly more "girl" yet still tough, while I taught her the joys of meddling. We had been a perfect duo.

Our lesson was done for today but because I was too stupid to even get a driver's license I had to wait for John to pick me up. John would come at 4:30, 15 minutes from now. I had nothing to entertain me and my short attention span, and Kanaya was no help at all, enthralled in her Vampire novel. We were quiet for a few moments before I decided to try again.

"Everything is teeeeeeeerriiiiiiiible," I say, louder then before, drawing out my words for as long as possible.

Kanaya shut her book, annoyed. "If you want my attention just ask for it. We both know that's the whole goal here."

"I don't want your attention," I say, lying. I really just want to talk.

"We both know you're lying. It's quite alright Vriska. I'm fine with talking to you," Kanaya says, articulating each word. I don't reply. "So Vriska tell me, what's so terrible about today?"

"My girlfriend," I say blankly.

"Oh I forgot that you were lesbian."

"Bi-sexual," I corrected.

"Who are you dating?"

"Terezi Pyrope."

For whatever reason Kanaya looks taken aback, "Terezi? What's wrong with her?"

"I just don't think it's working out. I want to break up with her," I say with a sigh. Terezi and I had a good run but the magic was long gone. "She also has the hots for another guy. She doesn't even try to hide it. Whenever I try to bring it up she changes the subject or accuses me of liking this guy named John. I dated him in like 8th grade and he's dating Rose now anyway." I see Kanaya cringe somewhat at this before remembering she dated Rose for the longest time. Crap I messed up.

"I know John," she says, "so is there any other reason you want to break up?" Kanaya was pretty good at giving me relationship advice.

"I'm just unhappy," I say, "plain as that. She's horrible and I hate her!"

"Hate?" Kanaya asks.

"Yes!" I spit. "I hate her."

"Have you broken up with anyone before?"

"Yeah. Both guys though. Also once it was a mutual break up, the other time it was a blow out." I shrug. "I don't know why it seems harder to do it with girls."

"I was the one to break up with Rose too. It wasn't too hard. Just remember it would be worse if you stayed. Rose had an alcohol problem and I tried my best to help but it didn't work."

"That's too bad."

"It's fine though because if we were still together I wouldn't be as happy now." She pauses and I don't know what to say. "You're dating Terezi right? How about you be you and I'll be Terezi and you just break up with me?" I nod and she sits up, "start whenever you want."

"I'll right I'll try," I say, not sure how to do this. I close my eyes and try to imagine Terezi in front of me, but I can't. Terezi and Kanaya were from two different universes. Kanaya was taller, shorter hair and didn't constantly wear dumb glasses. I try anyway, "Hey Terezi."

"Hello Vriska. I mean, Hey." Kanaya says, trying to get into Terezi and somewhat failing from the get go.

"We need to talk." I say blatantly.

"What about?" Kanaya's voice was smoother then Terezi's too.

"Uh, Terezi, I just don't think it's working out."

"What do you mean? What do you mean it's not working out? From my perspective it's going fine!"

"No. No it's not. Nothing in this relationship is going well. You think I like John, I think you like Dave, you hit on other people all the time, we never hang out and you never want to be around me. You never text me or give me kisses and you've broken all your promises! We have too much history. We should break it off and just be friends."

"You mean you don't love me anymore?" Kanaya seems honestly sad.

"I don't. I'm sorry. Go after Dave, he'll love you back. I'm sorry."

Silence. Kanaya breakis it at last, "because I'm bad at Terezi I'll stop now, but I do believe if that's all true then you should break up. Do you wish to meet her now?"

I nod. "I'll text her to meet me at our usual place. Uh, do you mind driving me?"

"Not at all. Tell John not to pick you up." I nod again and send a text to John saying not to bother and one to Terezi that simply says 'Meet me in 8 minutes at our usual place. We need to talk. I'll 8e there.' I put my phone down with a sigh and follow Kanaya outside and into her car, swinging into the passenger side. I tell her the address and she nods.

"I've been there before. Let's go." Then we start driving.

"Kanaya, talk to me. I don't care what about but I'm nervous. Just…talk to me," I say quickly.

So for the ride over there we just talk. We talk about books and video games and Kanaya talks about smart things and how Rose was the only person she ever dated and I talk about John and Tavros and finding out I was bi. Something about Kanaya makes me so comfortable, like I could tell her anything.

"You know," Kanaya says, "next year you might not need me. You're getting much better. Soon you'll be good enough not to need me." I hear a bit of remorse in her voice and make a mental note to fail a few tests. I knew if I didn't I'd miss Kanaya. It was worth it.

We keep talking and though I don't want her to she makes me smile a few times. Right now is no time to smile. I have serious business. We reach the small coffee shop far too soon for my liking. I see Terezi sitting in the back. This was where was had our first date, met up for our second date, went our separate ways for our third date, and got kicked out for being too loud on our fifth date. Almost all of our dates we'd at least met up here. Other than our eighth date of course. That was too much of a special occasion for that. Nothing was better than the number 8. Terezi put up with my weird eight fetish.

"I'll stay in the car if you want me to," Kanaya says, pulling my out of my trance.

"Uh, actually would you mind just sitting at one of the tables nearby?" She nods.

"Vriska, I need to tell you something," she says, talking quietly like she's guilty of something.

"What?"

"I believe Terezi is currently in a relationship with Dave." I stop.

"What?"

"I didn't want to tell you, I figured you'd find out because of Terezi but I just had to."

"How long have you known?" I say, not sure who to be mad at.

"A while. I assumed you two had broken up though. Until today." Ok. Not mad at Kanaya anymore. I was pissed out of my mind at Terezi.

"Ok. Let's go," I say without any emotion.

"Oh and Vriska?" Kanaya says before we leave.

"Yeah." I turn around to face her.

"Remember I'm on your side." She didn't say anything else as we left the car and I walked over to the table where Terezi was sitting.

"Hey Vriska," she says with a smile, "what's up?"

"Hey Terezi. We need to talk," I say, stone-faced.

Her smile faded, "about what?"

"I-I think we should call this off." Man this was so much harder in real life.

"Why?" Terezi says, looking up at me behind her stupid glasses.

"Because you're cheating on me." I sound uncannily calm while saying all this. Terezi looks shocked. "With Dave. With Dave Strider of all people." I feel like I'm losing my voice all of a sudden. Pull yourself together Vriska! You meant to break up with her anyway.

"I am not!" She yells, guilt thick in her voice.

"Liar!" My voice is getting louder and people are looking at us "You're a liar Pyrope! Someone I trust told me. Someone I trust more then I'll ever trust you!"

Terezi sighs, "fine. Whatever. He is a better kisser then you anyway." Wait what? She just admitted it! I'm going to kill her. She stands up and begins to walk away, before turning around.

"By the way Vriska I'd just like you to know I never really loved you." Terezi's smiling as she says it.

"W-what?" I say, surprised, shocked, devastated. But why? I was going to break up with her anyway right? So what if she never loved me?

Then I realized it was because there was a time when I did.

"Sure at first it seemed like something. You sparked something inside of me, but it was never really love. Only lately I've realized I'm not gay." Why does she seem so happy while crushing my whole world?

"What?" I say again because I can't find any other words. Finally the gift of speech returns. "How long have you known. Known you'd never like me like that?"

"Since our last kiss." That was a while ago. "I'm sorry Vriska. Well maybe not that sorry. You really do deserve it. It's also not my fault I like guys."

"You said you loved me," I whisper.

"People lie Vriska. You should know that more than anyone else." Then she walks away. I look down at the ground. Then I hear Terezi's voice again.

"Hey what the he-"

"Don't you ever go near Vriska again or so help me I will kill you. Don't you say a word, don't even dare glance in her direction or else I will track you down and hurt you so much you'll wish you were dead." I look over and see Kanaya grabbing my ex girlfriends arm.

"How dare you say those things to her? It's a miracle I'm not strangling you right now. Never even think about dating another girl ever again or I'll have to go hunting for dragons. Ok?" I had no idea Kanaya could be like this. "Now leave and go back to your cool kid boy friend who is somehow so much better than a beautiful girl who actually has a personality." She lets go of Terezi's arm and Terezi runs away as fast as she can. Kanaya is suddenly by my side.

"Are you ok? Of course you aren't. Here, let's go home." I look up at her and stand up, shaking.

"Thank you Kanaya." I lean up and kiss her on the cheek. She stops; shocked I guess, then leans down and kisses me on the lips. I swear I heard someone say 'awe' and 'I ship it'.

"I-I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done that! I mean you just broke up with Terezi and-," she says quickly.

"It's fine Kanaya. I did kiss you first."

"Oh. Ok. Then if that is true you won't mind me saying that you have no idea how long I've waited for that," Kanaya says and I realize I have been waiting to.

"Come on," Kanaya says, taking my hand "Let's go home."


	6. Vriska and John

**Ship: John and Vriska**

**Words: 1,890**

**Warnings: No warnings this time :D**

**Note: Some slight OOC. Also Humanstuck AU around the age 18-19. And to be honest I HATE this one. It was the first one I wrote and I've been putting off but I have nothing else to post. It is with great shame I present it now. **

I sat backstage. They were finally done doing my hair, makeup, clothes, and everything else for the show. I looked perfect, sure, but I sure didn't feel perfect. I almost never did. I watched myself in the mirror, ignoring the people watching me. I was in a waiting room of sorts waiting for someone to come in and tell me it was finally my time. It was taking forever and I was bored out of my mind.

It was April 13, and it was my first show in months. Sure it was a charity event and I wasn't getting paid, but I didn't care about money. That was other people's job. I was the most famous person here and I knew it. Some other people backstage glared at me jealously while others looked starstruck. Kanaya often joked how becoming famous was the worst thing that ever happened to me because it made my already oversized ego even larger. I didn't deny it. Kanaya was right, like always. Ever since one of my shows sold out in five minutes I've felt like a big deal.

"Vriska Serket?" someone asked. I looked up and they gestured to me to come over. I walked over, the nerves setting in. "You're on in five," they said with a fake smile.

_Come on Vriska, calm down. _I told myself. _You've got one song to do, then you're good for the night. You don't have to prove yourself anymore and you aren't trying to impress anyone. _

"Vriska are you talking to yourself?" Kanaya came over and broke me out of my trance.

"No!" I lied.

"I just came over to tell you there only a few people playing after you. Then some people are going to come backstage to meet you," she said, reading something off a clipboard. I nodded; I already knew that I was going to meet some people afterwards. I wasn't exactly excited. Screechy fangirls and over obsessed fans were the worst. Then again I'm not one to talk. Maybe one day I'll meet Nic Cage. One day… Hey! Don't judge me! A girl can dream.

"It's almost time," Kanaya noted, looking me up. "You look fantastic." Kanaya had been my friend for as long as I could remember. "You nervous?"

"Nah," I lied. I was always nervous. I tried my best to cover it. She could tell I was lying.

"Great. Then we have nothing to be worried about. You look gorgeous and you're going to blow them away." Kanaya always said I was beautiful before a concert, mostly because she picked my clothes out and did my makeup, just like back in high school. I missed high school a lot actually. Especial John. I really missed John.

"Vriska," I didn't know who it was but I did know it was my cue to go on. I forgot John and high school for the time being and stood up straight. Kanaya smiled at me and I turned around, ready to go out and sing.

"Vriska," Kanaya said. I turned around, a bit impatient. "You'll do wonderful, like always," she said softly.

"Ok Kanaya, but I'm not scared." With that I put on a smile and walked out on stage. I smiled even thought I wasn't supposed too. Usually I had to hold my image as a tough girl who didn't have time for this. Of course, none of that was acting. I honestly was just being me.

I went out and sang my heart out. The crowd screamed and applauded. I didn't sing a love song like almost everyone else had sung tonight. I hated love songs. I didn't love anyone anyway. Even back in high school it was never true love, but I had been close. Then I went on some music talent show, came in second place, found out the show was rigged, won, got a record deal and in a matter of months I was in a tour bus riding to the airport for my first concert in New York.

I was glad when I was done. I let the applause calm down before going offstage. Once out of everyone's sight I let out a huge sigh. "Thank God that's over with."

"So you were nervous."

"GOD! Kanaya you scared me!" I said. "Now let's take my makeup off and I can go back to the hotel room."

"Sorry Vriska but we've got people to meet and a flight to catch." I groaned. I had forgotten.

I waited until the people showed up. It wasn't as bad as it could have been. I just gave autographs and talked to fans and stuff. Sometimes I enjoy stuff like that, not today though. I was getting ready to go-I had a plane to catch-, eating a pint of ice cream –I could never eat before a show and it was far too late at night for anything OTHER than junk food right?- bored, all ready to go when I heard someone arguing. Of course I had to go see what was going on. Sure I had changed since high school but I still felt to need to meddle. As I got closer to all the noise I heard a voice I thought I recognized, but I couldn't put my finger on it. The other one arguing was some guard or something. I stayed out of sight, listening as they fought.

"Look, we've got our tickets. Just let us though! I'm sorry we're late, but we need to see her! You don't understand!" It was a girl's voice, teen or early twenties. "Even just let _him_ in, I don't care! Just let one of us past!"

"I'm sorry ma'am but we can't let you past. Visiting times are done and Miss Serket has a plane to catch. She doesn't have time right now." As if. I was bored out of my mind! I was suddenly interested though and tried to get a better look.

"Look," The girl's voice said very calmly "I don't want to be rude. Not in the slightest. But I personally know Vriska as does my brother and if you don't let us though I will personally-" she was cut off by a male voice which I definitely recognized.

"Look, Jade it's no use. We came too late. Let's go." Jade? Where did I remember Jade…?

Then I remembered.

I ran out from whereI had been hiding. "Let them though!" I said to the guard, bouncer whatever thing.

I saw the two people the man was refusing to let though. A girl, my age it seemed, long brown hair and oval glasses. At first her face was in a snarl but upon recognizing me she smiled. A boy was behind her, brown hair, tallish, smile on his lips, looking as dorky as ever, his blue eyes shining back at me behind his clean glasses.

John Egbert stood before me and I couldn't have been happier.

I oh so rudely ignored Jade, pushing past her, letting my ice cream drop to the ground, almost full on tackling John to the ground in the biggest hug I'd ever given. After a brief moment I got off him, embarrassed. I was Vriska Serket for crying out loud! This was no behavior for a girl such as myself! But this made things worse since I was pretty much sitting on him. I stood up but as soon as he got up on his feet, adjusting his glasses, I hugged him again trying not to knock him down this time. I didn't.

"Joooooooohn," I said before letting go. "I've missed you! You have no idea."

"Wow Vriska, talk about a warm welcome. I've missed you too but geez." Leave it to John to actually make me care about my actions. He adjusted his glasses since I had almost pushed them off his face. He then smiled at me and gave me a hug I greatly returned. It was a gentler hug then before, and we had both been expecting it.

"Vriska!" the voice of Kanaya cried out, "I told you we have a plane to catch! For the last time I hate being your moth-," Kanaya looked up surprised, "John?"

John waved awkwardly like the nerd he was. "Hey Kanaya. Long time no see." I laughed a bit about Kanaya's face. I was giddy now, a little kid on Christmas.

"John," I suddenly said, snapping out of it, "why are you here?"

"Jane got some tickets and gave 'em to us," he said with a dorky grin.

"Aren't there easier ways to contact me?"

"You deleted your email, changed your Pesterchum and have a new phone. I had no way to find you, so I did it the hard way." I was mad at myself for making myself unavailable to him. I blamed myself.

"UGH! I'm so dumb. I lost your number when my old phone died and my manager 'advised' me not to get a new Pesterchum, which means he forced me. I'm so stupid!" I ranted.

"I'm here now, right?" John asked. He had a point.

"Yes you are."

"But," Kanaya said, "YOU might not be here for long. We have a plane to catch!" I had forgotten, caught up in the moment.

I couldn't let John leave me yet. I cleared my throat and used the fanciest voice I could muster "Kanaya could I please request another first class ticket to Portland?"

"I'll see," Kanaya said, running her fingers though her hair. "Maybe, but odds are I can only get one. So Jade…." She trailed off.

"It's fine," Jade reassured her. "Trust me. I have to go now anyway."

"Alright," Kanaya said. "I'll see what I can do." She ran off, calmly, or calmly enough and I turned my attention back on John. He was saying good bye to his half sister. I waited until she left before talking with John again.

"John! I'm just so happy you're here!" I said a bit too excitedly.

"I am too. Man, you look different." Ugh, why is he always so put together, even in a dorky way?

"Must be the pound of makeup. Sometimes Kanaya uses me as her doll." We both laugh a bit and I find myself looking into his eyes. I also found him looking back into mine.

He moved a bit closer so we were almost touching. "I didn't realize how much I missed you until now," I said quietly, almost a whisper.

"Neither did I," he said, moving closer. "I'm so glad we're together again."

"Me-me to." Was I stuttering? I wasn't nervous was I? I hoped John didn't notice.

"I won't let you leave me again." He leaned forward and kissed me on the lips. It felt so perfect on my lips, so right. I felt my face grow warm while I blushed and I wrapped my arms around him. I didn't know how long I had been waited for this moment. To have John Egbert's arms around me, kissing me. Finally we broke away and I looked into his eyes. They were beautiful, sky blue, sparking.

That was when I realized I loved him.


	7. Sollux and Aradia

**Ship: Aradia and Sollux **

**Words: 1,458**

**Warnings: Sadstuck and major character death and major lack of fluff. **

**Note: I just now finished this and it's too late for me to put a note. I'm tired and my editor didn't get to see this so there will be grammar mistakes. Sorry. And yeah sadstuck mostly because I've been really sad lately. It's also technically still the 7****th**** where I am, so I did do it on time. ALSO based on a tumblr post**

It was almost the last day of school of my junior year. We were having an assembly and I was being squished by both KK and AA at the moment, thought I guess I didn't really mind. I just wanted this dumb assembly over so I could go home and spend the night with Aradia. During this assembly the principle had been giving out the student choice awards which I found quiet boring. Aradia and I were whispering back and forth to each other, which made time go faster. I shuffled in the uncomfortable plastic bleachers letting out a sigh. I swore AA laughed a tiny bit and I sent her a 'I'm not really mad at you' glare she couldn't even see behind my glasses.

"You ok Sollux?" She asked, half clapping for whoever just won a price.

"What? Yeah, I'm fine Aradia. Trutht me I'm fine." I didn't know why I felt off that day. To prove I was fine I leaned over and gave her a kiss on the check.

"Ok, fine, I'll let it go," She said with a smile "You're fine."

Ok, I admit, I was never very romantic. I never knew what to do or what to say or anything like that. I reached over and held her hand, hoping it didn't seem as awkward as it felt from my point of view. She held my hand too, squeezing it a bit. After a bit more than two and a half years of dating I wondered why she put up with me. After all this time her smile would still give me butterflies I never admitted were real in my stomach. Why some on e as beautiful as Aradia put up with me, I'd never know.

"And now," said our principle whose name I couldn't remember "we'll announce the best couples! First off is 9th grade…" I ignored he for the time being as Aradia held my hand tighter. We'd won last year, sure, but I doubted we would again. I knew AA wanted us to win though. I'd voted for Nepeta and Karkat though, mostly because Nepeta made Karkat shut up every once and a while.

"And the winner for 11th grade is…" she paused for dramatic effect I found just annoying. "Sollux Captor and Aradia Megido!" Aradia's face lit up and she grabbed my arm and almost dragged me down to get are 1 dollar ribbons.

"Congratulations!" she said with a smile, giving us our ribbons.

After that we got our pictures taken for whatever reason and we were free to go. Aradia's bag was already ready and soon enough we were in my car. Aradia happily half hugged me from the other side of the passenger seat.

"We won again!"

"Yep. Tho my houthe now?" I asked, pulling out of our parking space.

"I don't believe I need anything at home. So your place it is." As we drove we talked about our lives and what we planned to do over the summers (hers seemed better them mine. All I planned to do was spend hours on the computer and talk to her). I really don't know how the subject of death came up. It just did.

"Tho AA, what do you think happenth before you die?"

"I really don't know, though I have thought about it some. I guess you'll just know when the time is right that you're going to die. And hopefully you'll be ok with it. I know I will."

"Really? You're just going to accept the fact you're going to die?" I asked. She nodded in return "You're so weird AA. That's why I like you." I leaned over a bit giving her a quick peck on the check.

"Sollux." She wasn't smiling and her voice was grim. "Sollux I need to tell you something."

"Yeah what is it AA?"

She spoke as fast as she could "I really do love you and everything that's about to happen I mean to do. This isn't your fault. Keep your eyes on the road."

I did "What are you talking about?" I asked, confused.

"I feel it." She unbuckled for her seat.

"AA what are you doing? We're going 65 mile down a crowded freeway. Buckle up aga-" My sentence was cut off by a scream. It was me screaming. It hadn't seen much, just the front of the truck coming towards us and Aradia's deep black hair in front of me.

That's all I remembered.

Next I knew I was lying on the grass, unable to move because any movement hurt. My glasses had been knocked off and I could see them next to me on the ground, cracked. I could see to other bodies near me but couldn't turn my head to see who they were. I could hear a siren blaring in the back ground. I could also remember hearing my cell phone getting a next message.

Then came the yelling. And the stretchers, picking up all the bodies but me. Then someone lifting me off the ground. I was muttering her name and the nurse whispered that I shouldn't talk, that I need not to do anything, but I didn't stop.

I remember waking up in the hospital, screaming her name like a madman.

But it was no use.

She was gone.

***A year in the future.***

Last week of school again. Feferi was talking to me in the halls. I never seemed to like to talk back but no matter what Feferi would walk with me everywhere. I liked the way she agonized my existence, the ways she treated me like I wasn't fragile, the way she looked at me like I was a real person. I need Feferi there making sure I wasn't the poor breakable thing the whole world thought I was.

I needed her to remind me I was alive.

"So awards are at the end of today," Feferi said, getting stuff out of the locker "Did you vote?"

"Yeah. You and ED for best couple." I said everything as casually as physically possible, like best couple was just some dumb price I hadn't won three years straight with my dead girl friend. Just another award. Nothing special.

Not much time later I followed Feferi into the gym. I sat next to her and Karkat. Before the assembly began Karkat turned to me.

"Sollux, tell me honest to God, are you ok?" This was wrong. Karkat shouldn't ask if I was ok.

"What? I'm fine Karkat. Trust me, I'm fine." It felt like I had said that before.

The only good thing that had come out of the crash was the loss of my lisp. I don't know why but every day after the car crash I haven't been lisping at all. I was also now considered slightly visually impaired which means I was kind of blind. None of that really mattered though. I was alive, or alive enough. That's what she wanted right?

"And now, for the 12th grade best couple award." I wasn't even paying attention. "The winning couple is," she paused and I heard her gasp a bit. Then she whispered into the microphone words I never would have thought to hear her say.

"Aradia Megido and Sollux Captor."

There was silence though the whole school. After a few minutes of silence I stood up and walked down slowly. I could feel the tears threatening to fall.

As I walked up there and got the ribbons, both of them, I let the tears fall.

I walked back up and sat next to Karkat and Feferi, crying, silently. I didn't try to stop. Feferi was crying to. Actually a lot of people were.

After school I walked all the way to the graveyard. Yes I could technically drive, but I physically couldn't. I was hard enough to force me into a car anymore, let alone drive one. No way.

I reached her gravestone and at first sat quietly. Then I started talking again.

"Hey Aradia you'll never guess what. We won best couple again. Everyone was shocked, even the principle was crying. Even I was." I let out a shaky laugh "I guess I am right now to." I was quiet again "I guess I just wanted to bring you your ribbon because you couldn't come get it you know?" I placed it down on her grave. "I know I say this every day, but I really do miss you." I let the tears fall, as fast as they wanted to, as many as wanted to come "I love you Aradia." I stood up and walked away from Aradia, the girl who never stopped loving, and the girl I could never stop loving either.

_You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away._


	8. Dave and Terezi

**Ship: Dave and Terezi**

**Words: 2,200**

**Warnings: None :)**

**Note: Second time ever writing regular Dave, first time writing Dirk, and I'm bad at Terezi. Be warned. Also this story is for scatteredPhilosopher who is totally awesome and has reviewed everything in this and my Homestuck ending story. I really wish this was a better story for someone as awesome as you :). Also this is based off of one of my Dave head cannons. Also also I do have head cannon middle names for everyone. Also also also my sister and her best friend met the same way I made Terezi and Dave meet if you were wondering why I chose that of the way the met. (and yes I know blind people like movies. The Striders just don't happen to know)**

**I don't own Homestuck or the song used in here.**

Ok, maybe I felt a tiny bit guilty that I forgot my date with Terezi. More like really, really guilty. Sure, it wasn't a major date, we were just going to watch a movie at my house. Yes, Terezi liked movies, even if she's blind. At first I found it weird but she had informed me a lot of blind people liked movies. Even if they didn't I had learned not to judge Terezi.

Ok, I forgot our date, and, yes, I felt bad, but in my defense I had just had an overly long strife with Bro then had a half an hour shower, and had to go all the way down to the street to get my katana because Bro had knocked it off the ledge AGAIN, so my mind was a bit messed up. Still I knew it was no excuse and I did feel bad. I was in my room, completely forgetting Terezi, my glasses on my bed. I thought I was alone –Bro said he was going out before I took my shower- so I thought I was alone, but of course, I wasn't. I could have sworn I heard the door slam, but no. Nothing I worse than thinking you're alone when in reality, you're not.

Now back on the topic of Terezi. I lied; it was kinda a major date. It was our Valentines date because she was out of town on actual Valentines. I even freaking had her gift on my bed and I STILL didn't remember. To make things worse I was sitting on my bed literally right next to it. Good job Strider. Very observant.

I remember I was bored out of my mind for whatever reason. Then I got the weirdest urge to sing. Not rap but actually sing. I might slightly enjoy singing for reasons other than irony. I really liked singing not that I let anyone know, even Bro, though odds are he figured it out. He seemed to know everything about me before I did. I didn't really have a reason for anyone not to know. I just kept it a secret. I picked up my hair brush, the most ironic microphone of all time, and began humming. I didn't know what song to sing but it seemed my mouth knew what to sing without me.

"_Well I came home, like a stone. And fell heavy into your arms. These days of dust which we have known have blown away with this new sun." _Ok another thing. I really love Mumford and Sons. So what if it isn't cool? I strangely really like this song more than the others, lord knows why.

I heard footsteps outside my door and I stopped singing, assuming it was Bro. The footsteps stopped for a moment and kept going so I went on.

"_But I'll kneel down, wait for now. And I'll kneel down, know my ground." _

I held the box somewhat awkwardly in one hand, my cane in the other, and knocked on the Striders' apartment door. The door swung open and I instantly knew it wasn't Dave. It didn't smell like him at all.

"Hey Bro," I said, pushing past him, letting myself in.

"Hey TZ."

"Where's Dave? Shouldn't he be out here to greet his lovely princess?"

"He's in his room."

"Ah yes, so romantic."

"So are you guys going out tonight?"

"Nah we're staying in and watching a movie, at least to my knowledge." I could tell he was confused at the fact we were watching a movie. "Aren't Striders never supposed to lose their cool, even if a blind girl wants to watch a movie? Isn't that Strider rule number one? Plus a lot of blind people like movies. I don't know why that surprises people."

"Whatever TZ. Tell Dave I left him 30 bucks out here in case he wants to take you somewhere nice for Valentine's Day."

"Your house is perfectly fine Bro. I can't see if it's a mess anyway."

"Whatever. I've got somewhere to be."

"Alright. Bye Bro."

"Bye TZ. Dave's in his room." I then heard the door open and slam closed. I took the present again and walked down the hall. I knew the Striders' house perfectly and could easily get around. As I reached Dave's room I swore I hear music coming from inside it. Weird. I stopped for a moment and waited outside the door, just listening.

_"I will wait, I will wait for you. And I will wait, I will wait for you." _Was that Dave? No way. He was much too cool for singing, wasn't he? Also it sounded too good. Dave could never sing like that. I listened to the impostor sing a bit more. Whoever it was, he had a good voice. Maybe I should have been a bit concerned that someone I established to not be Dave was in Dave's room right after Bro just left, saying Dave was in his room. I guess in the back of my mind I knew it was Dave so I wasn't worried at all. I started tapping a slow beat with my cane, listening to his voice.

"_So break my step, and relent."_ He then paused for a moment. Deciding I had had enough of this, I opened the door and went in to catch the impostor Dave.

"Terezi!" someone with a voice similar to Dave's yelled, throwing something at me, and missing. I leaned down and picked it up. It was a hair brush.

"Wow Dave, you're a worse shot than me, and I'm blind. Geez."

"Terezi, I wasn't meaning to hit you in the first place. Why are you here?"

"I don't know, maybe our date?" I walked over and sat down next to him on his bed, putting my hand on something. It was his sunglasses "Oh, cool kid's been caught without his shades. Isn't that Strider Rule number two? I seem to be beating all the Striders at their own game today, unless of course you aren't a Strider."

"Terezi, why wouldn't I be Dave?" He said, annoyed.

"Because you were singing. Now it's time for your interrogation." By this point I knew it was Dave. He smelt like cherries, too much cologne, and a smell I could never put my finger on and referred to it simply as 'cool'. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pushed him on his back, planting three kisses on his check.

"Ah! Terezi, get off me." I could hear the embarrassment in his voice.

"So Dave Strider has been caught without his shades, singing and is now embarrassed in front of his own girlfriend. There is no proof you are the real Dave at all!" I got off him and stood up, walking over and placing his brush on his dresser. "Now even though you have already 'shown' me your eyes," as I made quotes in the air when saying shown I dropped my cane. "Crap." Then I remembered the present and how I had set it down outside the door. As I kept talking I backed slowly toward the door to get it, picking up my cane as well. "Even though you've shown me your eyes you wouldn't leave them off for no good reason. So," I picked up the present, walked over to his bed and putting the present down said, "who are you? Or have I simply caught you off guard? Did you forget about our date? Also why were you singing that song, whatever it's called, in your room?"

"So many questions Terezi. To answer one, it's called _I Will Wait_ by Mumford and Sons."

"I see. Interesting. Why that song Dave? Shouldn't you be rapping or something like that? Something much more expected of a kid who has achieved the status of cool kid like you?"

"Wow some big words there Terezi." I let out a fake gasp.

"Are you implying I am not smart? Or are you suggesting you aren't smart enough to know such words?"

"Terezi why are you talking so weirdly?"

"Because, Mr. Strider, you are under interrogation. Until you prove to me you are not an intruder, I will keep asking questions."

He laughed, "Like you'd ever kiss someone you thought might be an impostor." I leaned over and kissed him again on the lips. "See, you just proved my point again."

"That, Strider, was simply to shut you up, not to prove any point to you." I gently slapped his arm for no reason. "Now are you going to cooperate or no?"

"Fine TZ, I'll cooperate. What do you want to know?" At last he had given in. Now all questions could be answered.

"Good. Now prove to me you're the real Dave Strider."

"How?"

"Just prove it!"

"Fine. Your name is Terezi Lily Pyrope and you were blinded at the age of seven and you have synaesthesia. My name is Dave Strider and I have no middle name because my Bro was literally too lazy to give me a middle name at the hospital. One thing for certain is my middle name isn't Elizabeth." Bro and I always joked his middle name was Elizabeth, but I knew he really had none. "My mother died giving birth and thank god Bro doesn't blame me for it. Also my eyes are the brightest red you've ever seen, unless you're Terezi, in which case they taste like candy."

"And why I'm I over here today?"

"Valentine's Day Date because next weekend you'll be out of town."

"Hmm, you're getting closer Mr. Impostor Strider. Much closer. Tell me more."

"Let's see. Nepeta's shipped us since 5th grade when I moved here, we became friends over processed chicken when in 6th grade our teacher told us about slaughterhouses and you said 'poor chickens' and I said 'they had it coming since the chicken revolution in 1983' and you were so confused, we had our first kiss in a closet at John's party in 7th grade and I was so nervous I nearly missed yet kept my cool and didn't, we've had one major fight in our whole relationship and it was the worst day of my life, and when I told you I loved you it was in the weirdest way, at the weirdest time!"

I was silent for a moment. "You never said you loved me," I said.

"I just did."

"That was so smooth Dave it's hard to believe." I leaned over and kissed him again yet this time he kissed me back. When we broke away I smiled. "And you're right, I would never kiss anyone I thought might be an impostor. I love you too." We were silent for a few moments, a good silent though. "Now," I said, "Dave, why are you hiding the fact you like singing?"

"Because I guess it's kinda embarrassing," he said

"As if! Striders are never supposed to be embarrassed! Now let's see," I cleared my voice and began singing. I wasn't a great singer, but I wasn't the worst, hopefully. "_I will wait, I will wait for you."_

_ "_No way Terezi, I'm not going to sing."

"I know you know the words cool kid!" I yelled and kept going. "_And yes I will wait, I will wait for you!"_

"Not going to sing TZ."

"_So break my step and relent. You forgave-"_

_ "And I won't forget," _Yes! I did it.

"Thank God you forgave me," I said with a smile. That fight Dave had mention had taken place a long time ago, yet I still had said some pretty mean stuff and was shocked he forgave me.

"I'm happy you forgave me also," he said, handing me something. "Happy Valentine's Day TZ." I opened the box.

"Oh, chocolate! My favorite!" I took in a deep breath of the smell. Almost nothing smelt better then chocolate. "Wait, these all smell different." I grabbed one that smelt like red and ate it as fast as possible. "Cherry. My all time favorite. Now," I said, grabbing my present, "your turn." He opened the box.

"Scale mate. Cool," he said.

"You better like it! I spent forever on it." I really had. It was made to look like him, with shades and a record on its stomach. "There's something else."

"I know TZ I'm getting there. Now let's see. A book…" he trailed off. "Wow Terezi. Where'd you make this?"

"Places," I replied. I had given him a book filled with all our ironic selfies, pictures we drew on the computer that we sent back and forth to one another and copies of our best Pesterchum conversations.

"This is really cool Terezi. Honestly." I hoped he was smiling. I bet he was.

"Now, Strider," I said, standing up, picking up the hair brush and tossing it at him, "why don't we sing a bit more?"

"Fine Terezi. Just for Valentine's Day." He picked up the brush "_I will wait, I will wait for you."_

_ "Oh yes I will wait, I will wait for you." _I sang along with him, walking back over to his bed.

"_I will wait for you." _We sang at the same time and I leaned over and kissed him.

"I'll always wait for you cool kid." I said with a smile "Always."


	9. Vriska and Sollux

**Ship: Vriska and Sollux **

**Words: 1,560**

**Warnings: None**

**Note: AT LONG LAST THIS IS ONE WHERE THEY ARE TROLLS :D This is like when they're on the meteor I guess. Also I know literally nothing about hacking. So be warned. **

Vriska was bothering me like always. "Whacha doing Thollux," she said with an evil spidery smile. What was it with her weird obsession with my lisp? She always called me 'Thollux,' just to rub it in my face.

"Hacking," I said, bored, hoping she'd go way. Well not really. I didn't mind her around me that much. In fact I kinda liked it.

"Bluh! Sollux that's boring. All you ever do is coding and hacking, coding and hacking." She moved me slightly out of the way and started typing in the number 8 a ton of times. Scratch that, only 8 times.

"Thtop!" I complained while backspacing. She just laughed a little bit.

"You are soooooooo boring Sollux! The least you could do is hack into something interesting. Oh hack into Karkat's Trollian! Or Tavros's."

"Vrithka that ith tho dumb wordth cannot dethcribe it. Do you know how eathy it ith to hack into thomeone'th Trollian?"

"Yeah right. You're just scared you can't do it," she said, flipping her hair behind her shoulder and smiling that evil smile again._ Don't do it Captor. Don't fall into her spider web. She killed your Moirail. Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it, don't-_

"Yeah right. I could hack into KK'th Trollian in a few minuteth topth." Why did I say that?

"I bet I could hack into Karkat's faster than you can." Of course she would make this a contest.

"Really Vrithka? Making thith a contetht? Pluth I could hack in way fathter. Have you ever hacked into anything before?"

"In a matter of fact yes, I have. And yes this is a contest. You too scared you're gonna lose huh Sollux?"

"Dependth on what the thtaketh are." I already knew at the time I wasn't backing out now.

"Let's seeeeeeee. Winner gets to boss the other around for an hour."

"Only an hour? Now you're the one who'th thcared Vrithka."

"Fine! The rest of the day. Is the better Thollux?" I'd beat her at her own game. Score one for the good guys.

"Good. Deal?" I asked, holding out my hand. She paused a second before shaking it.

"Deal." She left and I smiled. No way was I going to hack into KK's account. No I had someone much better to hack into. A certain spider.

I knew what to do. I could hear her typing already at her computer which was on the other side of the room. I really doubted she knew how to code at all though.

I put my hands to the keyboard with a smile. This was just too easy.

***Two quick hacks later***

Vriska and KK were now mine. I had gotten into Vriska's first then KK's. Both were extremely easy. Before I could start messing with them I heard Karkat yell for me.

"Sollux!" Karkat came over, angry. He couldn't know yet could he? How would he?

"What do you want KK?" I said, trying to sound as bored as possible.

"Something's wrong with my Trollian."

"tho…?"

"Could you help me?"

"You're problem not mine KK. Thorry. Well not really."

"Fine," he said storming off. I rolled my eyes. He was such an idiot sometimes. Well more like most of the time. I turned my attention back to what I was doing. I decided to mess with Vriska first. Tavros was online which was perfect. It was time.

arachnidsGrip [AG] began trolling adiosToreador

AG: Hey Taaaaaaaavros ::::)

I had to make sure to press S not 2 and not to double my I's. It was oddly harder than I thought. Also 8's. Always 8's. Never nines. I had to recount things to make sure I didn't mess up. Finally Tavros wrote back.

AT: uH, hEY vRISKA

AG: Tavros I have a lot to tell you!

This was going to be fun.

***POV Change***

Of course I wasn't JUST going to hack into shouty's account. Sollux was so unsuspecting of my plan. At least I hoped so. The whole reason I bothered to learn code was for him anyway. He better be happy with it. Odds were he wasn't. Was he ever satisfied? I doubt it.

_Ok, _I thought, _double things, 2's not S's, no eights, double I's…. why is his quirk so weird! _Of course I couldn't give up. Feferi was on. Perfect! It was time Sollux was honest with his fishy 'girlfriend.' They weren't even dating. He had told me he didn't really like her like that. It was time she knew.

twinArmageddons [TA] began trolling cuttlefishCuller [CC]

TA: hey FF.

CC: hey Sollux!

TA: ff we need to talk.

CC: Reelly? Why?

***POV Change Again***

Ah yeah. Vriska just had a long talk with Tavros being freakishly nice and apologizing and such. It had been perfect. One point to team Captor. Ok, so maybe it wasn't that big of a deal, but it was something. Who next? Maybe John. My train of thought was interrupted by someone pestering me. Then I realized they were actually pestering my account which I had opened yet had been ignoring. When I opened it I saw someone had been using my account and talking to FF while I had been talking with Tavros. Crap. It was Vriska obviously. How could I be so STUPID? I looked at the messages.

CC: O)(

CC: T)(at's ok I guess

CC: I mean, I admit, you were my flus)( crus)(

CC: But you've been )(inting you liked someone else for a w)(ale

CC: S)(ould )(ave seen it coming

CC: You know I'm gonna drop t)(e puns for now.

TA: ii'm so 2orry ff

CC: I know you are. It's ok not all relations)(ips work out.

TA: ii 2hould have done thii2 iin per2on

CC: No it's ok. It's fine like t)(is.

CC: Now w)(o's t)(e lucky troll t)(at's earned your love 38?

I decided if Vriska dare say anything to respond to that question I would go kill her. Personally.

Then I decided I would have to answer that question for myself.

***ANOTHER POV Change***

TA: well iit'2 2ort of weiird

TA: and defiiniintely unexpected

Wait what? I didn't type that in! This was not good. I decided to watch this conversation unfold. I just hoped Sollux was the one typing on the other side.

CC: W)(o?

TA: one 2econd ff. ii'm not done apologiiziing

TA: ii 2tiill feel bad for breakiing up over text

CC: We're not even breaking up! Plus it's fine. You can go after Aradia

TA: it'2 not AA

Now even I was surprised. Who was it then? In my mind I hoped it was me though I knew it wasn't. Maybe it was Nepeta. That would make more sense.

TA: look, you liike ed, ii know you do and aa liike2 equiiu2. 2o everyone'2 happy riight?

CC: W)(at about you Sollux?

TA: Um, ii've got 2ome one

CC: W)(o?

TA: tell no one.

CC: Alrig)(t.

TA: 2ecret.

TA: iit'2 2ecret.

TA: I've got two go.

CC: Wait Sollux!

twinArmageddons [TA] ceased trolling cuttlefishCuller [CC]

I stared at the letters on the screen. Did he really have flushed feelings for me? Then I heard him walk over and I quickly canceled out.

"I won Therket. I hacked into KK'th account along with yourth. I won."

"You hacked into my account!" I said angrily. He just smiled.

"Yep. Now you have to do everything I thay for a day."

"Ugh fine. A deal's a deal right? What do I have to do?"

"Firtht log out of my account."

I didn't even pretend I wasn't on his account. I sighed and logged out. "Happy?"

"Yeth. Now..." he trailed off for a moment. "I don't know. Jutht thtay here until I come back."

"Ok." He walked away and I smiled and turned back to the computer, logging in as him again. Too easy. I watched the conversation continue.

twinArmageddons [TA] began trolling cuttlefishCuller [CC]

TA: 2orry about that ff.

TA: ju2t won a dare.

CC: It's ok

CC: So Vriska?

TA: yeah Vri2ka

CC: Wow.

CC: T)(at's kinda cute.

TA: ehehe ii gue22

CC: I bet Nepeta s)(ips it! 38)

CC: You gonna tell )(er 38?

TA: yeah.

TA: yeah ii thiink ii wiill.

Cc: Good! 38)

TA: hey ii got two go agaiin.

CC: Ok! Bye Sollux. 38)

twinArmageddons [TA] ceased trolling cuttlefishCuller [CC]

I was still in shock about him feeling flushed for me back. I heard him walking back towards me and I closed the tab again.

"Hey Vrithka I got another command," Sollux said, sitting down in the chair next to me.

'Yeah?" I asked keeping my cool.

"Who are you fluthed for?" I was a bit taken aback. Then I realized I had no reason to lie.

"You," I said. He looked shocked and I smiled. "How about you?"

"Uh, well, might have fluthed feelingth for you ath well."

I smiled, "thank God." Then I leaned in and kissed him.

"Yeah," he whispered when we pulled away, "thank God."

"So Captor, want to be Matesprits?" I said, smiling, moving my chair closer to him.

"Of courthe Vrithka." He leaned in and kissed me again.

During that kiss I felt all the guilt of everything I had put him though before the game.

During that kiss I knew he forgave me, and for the first time in a long time, I was happy.

**A/N: Hey guys! I just want you to know I need more ships/prompts ASAP. So tell me if you have any ideas. I'm getting sort of desperate. Well not really but whatever. Thanks for reading and review! **


	10. Vriska and Andrew Hussie

**Ship: Vriska and Andrew Hussie**

**Words: 4,408 (holy crap)**

**Warning: Ok this started off as a total joke but turned kinda sad. So I guess sadstuck warning? Also major OOC. You know I'm not great at Vriska and I never ever thought I'd be writing Hussie :P**

**Notes: Ok so this was meant at a complete joke and stuff and starting tomorrow I'll get back on request. Also this thing is LONG. God. I never meant it to get this long. ALSO this takes place right after Vriska dies.**

I wasn't dead. That was the weird part. You'd think after being stabbed several times by your ex scourge sister you'd be dead, but I wasn't and I had no idea if that was a bad thing or not. That was the other problem. I wasn't sure if it was a good thing I was alive. Part of me wanted to be dead. Maybe the dead don't feel so much.

I was sitting in the sand. That's all there was. Sand, piles of it, mountains of it, too much of it. The sand was hot and I was hoping the heat of the sand would give me something more to feel than guilt. Anything was better than this. I was alone for who knows how long in this desert and all I'd been feeling was guilt.

The only reason I knew I was alive was because I knew what death felt like. I felt it briefly before God Tier and briefly before I ended up here, wherever here was. I also knew I was alive by the way the sand stung my hands and the way the wind blew my hair and the way the sand hurt my eyes when the wind blew too hard. I hated the wind now. It reminded me of John and Tavros.

Here, wherever here was, it was always day time. The sun never went away. I slept when I was tired. There was no food and I was never hungry. This place was a strange, awful place. I didn't know how long I had been here. There were no days or hour or anything. There was just sun.

I was lonely here. There wasn't anyone. I would take the company of Karkat at this point rather than be alone for another day, whatever a day was anymore. I knew I was probably slowly losing my mind. I was alone in the desert for who knows how long. Sanity was a joke.

No it wasn't. I was still sane for the time being, but a bit longer and the memories of my messed up life might push me off the edge. I wanted John or Tavros or Terezi or Kanaya, at least assuming they were all dead. I knew Tavros was. That was a fact. I had a feeling a lot of us were dead. Too many of us. I slowly found myself writing the four of their names in the sand then letting it all blow away in the light wind. Sand was getting stuck in my hair but I didn't care.

I stood up, brushing sand off my pants. I wondered why I wasn't God Tier. I moved my hand up my back right to were my wings used to be. I remembered feeling them the first time and what an odd sensation it was. I missed that. I sighed, moving my hand back, and continued walking though the sand. I had nothing better to do.

I didn't know how much later it was when I saw something, no someone, over on one of the other sand dunes. I thought it was all in my head, but no, it was a real live person. I didn't know who it was, but it could have been Eridan for all I cared. I ran as fast as I could towards them. As I got closer I stopped running. I had never crossed my mind that someone I didn't know could be out here. I started walking slower. I couldn't be excited to see a stranger, no way. I got closer and saw it was a human and definitely not John. He was wearing an orange shirt which mixed in with the sand and he had the biggest lips you've ever seen. He had weird brown hair and jeans. He was weird. I instantly came to that conclusion. When he saw me his eyes lit up.

"Vriska!" he called out, coming down the hill. "Where have you been?" He threw his arms around me and I shoved him off of me.

"Who are you?" I yelled. My voice was somewhat hoarse and I realized I hadn't spoken in a while. I looked at the weirdo. I couldn't tell his age and didn't care. Just looking at him I could instantly tell if the circumstances were different I would ditch him now, but these were weird times. He looked at me.

"You don't remember me?" he cursed under his breath. "I should have known this was going to happen. This isn't you is it?"

"What do you mean this isn't me? I know who I am. I'm Vriska Serket! I'm not some doomed timeline or anything like that! If you didn't know I'm from the alpha timeline. I'm as real as it gets!" The man sighed, shaking his head.

"Guess I got it wrong again," he mumbled.

"What?" I asked. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing. Sorry for the awkward meeting."

"I've had worse, but care to explain why you seem to know me?"

"I met alternate timeline you. Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Andrew Hussie and I can tell you don't like me, but Vriska there isn't another soul here. I'm the best thing you're going to find out here."

"How should you know?" I asked, growling a little bit. He laughed.

"I've been here for too long Vriska, even longer then you. Face facts, you either stay with me, or go out there alone. Your choice."

I paused for a moment, thinking of days, even years, out in this desert. I couldn't bear it. "Fine," I said, turning back to him, "I'll stay. Now to properly introduce myself I'm Vriska Serket."

"Andrew. Andrew Hussie. I'd like to say it's a pleasure to meet you again but I'd be lying."

"I believe you mean meet for the first time," I corrected.

"From my prospective we've met before. It's only your first time."

"Do us all a favor and just keep things from my perspective."

"Why should I?"

"This argument is stupid."

"That it is. Now come along Vriska, I have a place to show you."

"Don't act like I'm a wriggler."

"Vriska you're still young. You are still considered a human child."

"I've seen things, done things, human children have nightmares about. I am not a child."

"True enough. Now come on Vriska we've got places to be."

"As if," I said, following him off into the sand. Soon the sand turned into stone and we reached a small house. In fact it looked like an apartment ripped away from the rest of the building it belonged to, except with all of its walls.

"What's this?" I asked.

"My house, or hive as trolls say."

"Looks like a dump."

"Well Vriska, it's your new home." I went inside after him and discovered his house was more of a dump then I could have thought. There were papers everywhere littering the floor. The papers on the floor were pictures, sketches actually, of my friends. All of them. I didn't know what to say.

"Andrew, what timeline are you from?"

"All the timelines," he said shortly. I wanted a better answer but before I could ask he kept talking. "I'd say sorry for the mess but I'm really not. Let me show you around." I followed him warily making a list of what I knew in my mind.

I wasn't dead. That was for sure. I had just met some guy who lived alone with papers and pictures of my friends littered everywhere. His house was small yet he had a room with a recuperacoon for me in it and a room he called his at room that I couldn't go into. He was weird and I should have been scared or at least creeped out, but I wasn't.

That was the first day.

That night I completely refused any offer to sleep anywhere in his house. I wasn't sleeping anywhere near the human creep who I'd never me and was probably lying about what timeline he was from. Also I had been sleeping outside for a long time. One more night wouldn't kill me.

All 'night', which wasn't really night. It was just when we decided to sleep, I thought about ditching Hussie and running back off into the sand, but I didn't. I guess it was better than being alone. He also had a clock which made things better. And a calendar. I knew I should stay. So I did.

I woke up and brushed sand off of me before entering his house without knocking. I walked into his room which had the most pictures and drawings of my friends in it. He wasn't in there so I left and knocked on the door to his art room.

"Vriska?" I heard him say from inside.

"Yeah it's me."

"Okay you can come in." I opened the door and saw there were even more pictures in here yet they seemed more organized. I noticed a picture of him and me together, probably from another timeline, and chose to ignore it, walking over to him past huge piles of papers. He sat at a desk, drawing.

"What're you drawing?" I asked, looking over his shoulder. He pulled the picture away, but I was still able to see a picture of a girl standing in her room. "Who's that? I've never seen her before."

"Her name is Jane. You haven't met her and I doubt you ever will."

"She looks sort of like John when I first saw him, standing in his room like the complete dork he is! Anyway I thought I at least caught a glimpse of all the humans. Are there more?"

"That," he said sharply, "is none of your concern. Now go take a shower, you're covered in sand."

"Wow you're nice. Does this place even have a shower?"

"No Vriska I just told you to take a shower when I don't have one," He rolled his eyes "of course I do. Down the hall."

I admit it was nice to take a shower. I hadn't in literally forever. I don't think I had since the game had started a lifetime ago. I took a shower then seemed to last forever but I finally got out and changed in the bathroom.

Hussie was outside the bathroom and as I left he threw something at me. "Here, put these on." They were exactly like my old ones yet not covered in sand.

"Alright," I said, thankful, yet not letting it show.

"Your room's down the hall." I walked down the hall and found a room, simple enough but it had a recuperacoon and several 8 balls. I got changed as quickly as possible, happy not to be covered in sand. There was a large mirror on one wall and I looked at myself. I hadn't seen me in a while.

Why was he being so nice to me? He certainly was doing everything to gain my trust. I knew I wasn't going to dare trust him, at least for a while. I sighed and left my room and walked down the hall into his art room again.

"Andrew," I asked, walking in. "Why are you a creepy stalker and have pictures of all my friends along with all my non friends?"

"Like I said, I'm from the all the timelines," he said, not looking up. "I get to know a lot of people."

"How are you from all the timelines?"

He laughed a bit at me. "You don't understand Vriska."

"You're right, I have no idea. Care to enlighten me Hussie?" I spat out the word enlighten as much as I could.

He laughed, again. It was annoying when he laughed, like I was a wriggler who just didn't understand. "One day you'll understand."

"How about that day is today/" I said, slamming my hand on his desk. It bugged me how he hadn't stopped drawing.

"And spoil all the fun? No thanks Vriska."

"Ugh! I hate you!" I yelled

"Hate you too Vriska," he said calmly.

"I'm going outside," I mumbled.

"there's nothing out there," he reminded me.

"There's nothing in here either," I said, stopping, almost out of his dumb art room.

"I'm here."

I laughed "sand is better than your company!" and with that I stormed out, not entirely sure why I was mad. I sat in the sand for the rest of the day. I had spent who knows how long doing it before; I could do it for one more day. Much to my surprise the sun went down today. When it got dark I went inside, then waited, unsure if I should go into my recuperacoon.

"Vriska, you do know there's another room," he said, noticing me just standing there.

"I don't care," I said before going outside. Maybe one day I'd sleep in that recuperacoon but maybe not. As I went outside I thought about asking Andrew about the sun but decided against it and reminded myself to do it in the morning. Of course I forgot. Halfway through the night I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep. I went inside quietly and almost dived into the recuperacoon. It felt so good to sleep in an actual recuperacoon again.

When I woke up I saw another set of clothes and some food. I got changed but ignored the food. Ever since I'd been with Hussie I'd been hungry. The food could be poisoned and I didn't want to die again, but why on earth would he want to poison me? I sighed, ate the food and went out into the hall. Andrew was in his bedroom, unlike usual. I walked in and sat on his bed. I had to ask him some things.

"Andrew," I said, my voice dead serious.

"Vriska," he said, turning towards me in a similar tone yet somewhat mockingly.

"Why am I not dead?" I asked, staring right at him.

"Why do you think I know?"

I shrugged. "Because you claim to be from all the timelines. You should be pretty powerful. Unless you're lying, which is always a possibility. Now I've been impaled several times and that would kill the average person."

"Since when have you been the average person Vriska?"

"Fine. I'm not always average, but in this case I am."

"Fine. Yes being impaled multiple times would kill most people and you see Vriska, you are dead."

"As if! I know I'm not dead."

"You're not are you? You see Vriska that's the point. I had to make sure you didn't die yet."

"Care to explain?"

"Vriska I have power to make sure you don't die."

"Yeah, right. You're just a nerd. Also, why waste that on me? I'd waste it on someone worth saving."

"Ah yes, how sweet. The whole 'I'm not worth saving' thing. Get over yourself! So what if I saved you? You'll die again anyway, I'll make sure of it. You can't just be saved. Well there is one way."

"How?"

"Well it's impossible for someone like you."

"What do you mean?"

"You see Vriska you have to win me over. Give me a reason to save you. You have to make me fall in love and let's face it, who's gonna fall in love with someone like you."

I was speechless. "Death would be better than being stuck with you!" I said, standing up.

"I'd say the same if I could die."

"What?" I said, turning back to face him.

"No, no got run off in rage Vriska. I have some feels to break and some panels to draw anyway."

"What?" I said again.

"Be gone fowl spider," he said and I left, angry and confused.

***Several Hussie filled months later***

I got out of my recuperacoon and saw some food and another set of clothes. I ate the food without even considering if it was poison. I got changed and went out into the hall. After walking around with no goal for half an hour or so Andrew came out, clapping his hands.

"There! Update done. That should tide them over for a while."

"What does that mean?" I asked for the millionth time.

"it means that I have finished the update and sent into out onto MSpaintAdventures using the internet and now thousands of fan girls can read it and become disappointed because I have not explained enough for their liking. It is currently being transported back to the magical human world."

"Ha ha," I said bitterly. Why could he never really explain things. "What does it actually do?"

He smiled. "I just told you," and I knew I wasn't getting any more information out of him today.

"You're terrible today," I paused "wait no, you're terrible every day."

"Thank you Vriska. I feel so loved." When he says that I think of being alive again and cringe. Was it worth it? I pushed it out of my head and said the first thing that came to mine.

"Thanks for the food."

"You know that is the first time you've ever said thank you?" he said. "It's been several months now. I'm slightly touched Vriska. I might cry."

"I was trying to be nice. Give me a break! Don't rain on my parade."

"I'll rain on it much more than you'll ever believe Vriska. Just wait and see. No go off and ruin your chances of coming back to life some more!" I stood up and went outside, and in that moment I made a plan.

Earn his trust.

Make him fall in love.

Become truly alive.

And Kill him.

***Several weeks in the future***

We were outside, lying down in the sand on top of a hill, looking out into the night sky. "Andrew?' I said softy.

"Yes Vriska?" Over the last few weeks we each had become more tolerable, to the point where I didn't retreat to the sand every day and we could have a conversation without yelling at each other. He didn't constantly lock himself in his room and draw all day. He said something I didn't understand about a mini hiatus. He'd showed me around some sand dunes and we'd walked together in the hot sun. I think I was earning his trust. The problem was, I think he was earning mine.

"Where's Tavros?" I asked quietly, staring into the shining stars.

"Well he's somewhere almost identical to this, being dead."

"Oh." I was quiet for a bit, "because of me?"

"Yes, because of you Vriska," he said blankly.

"I remember that. I still feel bad."

"You'll have a chance to make it up to him later. Just don't blow it."

I laughed a bit. "I'll try." We were quiet for a bit more. "Where's Kanaya?"

"Off being alive along with Terezi. John's alive too if you were wondering."

"Really?"

"Yep."

"They're alive?" I said quietly, deciding I needed to become alive again. I tried to hide how happy I was.

"No need to be ashamed of missing your ex moirail," he said. "She was flushed for you, you know. She would never tell though."

"What?" I asked, shocked.

"Now she has Rose. I said flushed in past tense."

"Wow. Should I be hurt she stopped liking me after I died?" I turned to look at him. He didn't look that weird to me anymore, not like went I first saw him. Maybe I was just used to it.

"It takes a lot more to hurt a Serket," he said.

"Like you'd know," I said with a scoff.

"True. I am but a Maryum."

"With the last name Hussie?"

"Yes." He said straight faced and I rolled my eyes. I had gotten used to his weirdness. "With the last name Hussie."

"Great," I said. "If you didn't notice, you're also a human. Unless you have nubbier horns then Karkat and lighter skin the Kanaya when she's rainbow drinker mode. Also no troll has hair that weird." I vaguely poked at his hair.

"Please stop that."

"Bluh. You're no fun."

"I'm not am I? You see many teenaged girls agree with you and believe am really no fun and all I do is murder people."

"Um, what?"

"Nothing."

We looked up into the sky. "Have you ever killed anyone Hussie?"

He laughed, a real not that mocking laugh. "More than you know!"

"Really? Me too."

"I know Vriska. I don't care." I looked into his eyes again and for a moment I admit I felt a bit of love.

***About a Month Later* **

I was walking though the sand. "Why did this have to happen?" I muttered. Andrew was up ahead and we were looking for something he'd lost. We'd been walking though the sand for forever.

"Where is that ring?" he grumbled, not far ahead of me.

"Leave it to you to lose the ring," I said with a small laugh. He didn't feel like laughing now though. "Come on let's head back. It's getting dark." I liked the ring, sure, and something drove me towards it and with a name like the Ring of Life it must do something good yet this seemed a bit much. I leaned down and ducked my hand into the sand. Nothing. I did this several times never getting anything. This went on for a hour or so. Then one time something cold hit it. I picked it up and saw the ring. I found it! I felt the urge to put it on when I was interrupted.

"Come on Vriska I already checked there!" Hussie called out.

"Ok! I'm coming!" I said, slipping the ring into my pocket and running up ahead to get back with him.

***Sometime later***

"Andrew!" I called out smiling. Today was the day. Today I would come back to life.

"What Vriska?" he was outside looking for the ring in the same spot for the thousandth time.

"Look what I found!" I said, pulling the ring out of my pocket and showing it to him. "Is this it?"

He grabbed it out of my hand. "Where did you find that Vriska! You're a life saver. Literally."

"I found it over there," I said, pointing to an area we hadn't searched as much.

"Vriska thank you so much. And trust me, I don't say thank you much." He hugged me and I hugged him back tightly. Then he whispered the words I'd been waiting for, "and I'm in love with you."

"I am too," I said. The problem was I meant it.

***Last time skip***

"Andreeeeeeeew," I called, walking down the hall.

"Yeah Vriska?" he said. He was in his art room and I went up behind him.

"What's up with the new update?" I asked. He'd been on and off with these updates recently.

"Nothing," He said, pulling the picture back, but I had still seen part of it.

"Wait, was that me?" From what I had seen from his panel none of my friends were in it. Some girl named Roxy, a guy named Dirk and a few others. Of course I hadn't looked lately. I looked over his shoulder. "Is that Tavros?" I asked.

He flipped the page over. "Vriska I have to tell you something."

"Yeah?"

"I love you, Vriska."

"I know," I said with a roll of my eyes. I thought he was going to say something bad and was a bit relieved. He had said I love you so much it just seemed old now.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"About what?" I asked.

"I'm sorry you have to go," he said blankly.

"What?"

"And I'm sorry I have to kill you."

"What!" I said angrily. "What do you mean? We had a deal!"

"We did, but the fans are desperately missing you. I can't just poof make you come back to life. It's not that easy."

"Hussie you better not kill me!" I was yelling now. "Or God help me I will…" Then I picked up his pencil. He looked kinda shocked. "Or I'll kill you first."

He sighed. "Oh Vriska. If only it was that easy. Now please calm down and give me my pencil."

"No!" I yelled, holding it up as high as I could. "No way!" he of course was taller than me and easily stood up and pulled it out of my grip.

He sighed and put the pen to the page. "I'm so sorry Vriska. I'll see you soon." Then I blacked out.

I woke up in a steel room with no doors. A metallic voice boomed all around me, "entrance to comic in one minute." I looked around, confused, and then saw him in front of me.

"Andrew!" I screamed. "I'm gonna kill you!"I don't know why I was crying. This was what it was like to be on the other end of betrayal. "I'm gonna- I'm gonna kill you."

"I am really sorry Vriska," He said calmly, "but you see soon you'll be walking in the sand again, looking for Tavros. You'll be looking for a ring again with Tavros this time. Soon, well, I'll just be some weird orange dude. You won't remember anything that has happened here."

"I want to remember," I whispered. "Trust me I do."

"I'll remember Vriska, but you won't."

"Andrew," I said, angrily. I ran at him, not sure what I was going to do, but something literally stopped me. An invisible wall of some sort.

"It's time for me to go Vriska. I know I've said it a lot today but I'm really sorry. You'll never understand how sorry I am. You mad me happy Vriska and I hope I made you happy too. I love you." Then a steel door closed, locking me out.

I ran at the door and slammed my hands against it. Then I started screaming at it, "Andrew!" I felt as though I was screaming with my last breath "Hussie! Let me out!"

"15 seconds," the voice said again.

"Andrew! Please!" I felt the tears stream down my face "I hate you! Let me out." I slumped to the ground against the door.

"5 seconds."

"4 seconds."

"3 seconds."

"I love you Andrew."

2 seconds."

"I'm sorry."

"One."

***Ok this is the last skip***

I was walking in the sand silently with Tavros.

"Uh, Vriska?"

"What?" I spat out at him.

"Uh, who is the guy following us?"

"Why do you think I'd know? He's just this weird orange guy."

**A/N: Wow this one's weird. It's kinda based off of two head cannons one being that after Vriska died Hussie brought her to a place where they met and he hoped she'd fall in love with him. When he didn't he just made he died and became Tavris sprite and stuff. The other head cannon is that Hussie isn't really the God of Homestuck. He writes the characters and influences major events but there personalities and such are up to them. Yep this one was a WEIRD one and if you have any questions PM me or leave a review. Bye!**


	11. Karkat and Dave

**Ship: Dave and Karkat**

**Words: 2,100 **

**Warnings: None.**

**Notes: Wow I don't ship this red but this was so fun to write. I think I'm finally getting good at Dave :D Also Humanstuck and they're in 10****th**** grade. **

My original plan was to dress up slightly nicer then my usual jeans and hoodie, but no way was that going to happen. I had wasted time on Tumblr before noticing that I had five minutes to get to a house ten minutes away. It didn't matter at the time that I didn't get a chance to change. Odds were Strider was wearing his turntable t shirt and jeans like always. I had only had enough time to throw my black sweat shirt with red crab drawing and the word 'Crabby' on it that Dave had gotten 'ironically' for my birthday last year, grab my back pack and run out the door.

"Karkat, where are you going?" Of course Kankri had to ask right when I was leaving.

"Nowhere," I replied before ducking out the door. I had learned one word sentences were the best way to respond to Kankri. Also "nowhere" and "nothing" were also good replies, if you could get away fast enough. "Nowhere" was better mostly because I literally named a place in the middle of Light Park Nowhere which I had found one day when I was much younger when I ran away from home. I passed Light Park while running to Dave's house. I reached his apartment building in record time. Great. Barely enough time to run into the lobby and put in my contact lenses. I had them in my backpack. I went into the empty bathroom as fast as possible, thanking God it was empty. I could see fine without my contacts, sure, but no one needed to know I was a red eyed freak, not even my boyfriend. I put my contacts in as fast as I could then went up four flights of stairs and knocked on the Strider's apartment door.

"Sup Karkat," my boyfriend said. "You're 4 minutes and 13 seconds late."

"I'm not!" I said, pushing past him to get in. I pulled out my phone and cursed. It was 4:34.

"Come on Karkat it's not that bad. Someone _will_ have to help me through all this emotional trauma I'm going through because you're four minutes late." He always did this when I was late. I sighed and walked over and kissed him on the lips as angrily as I could, which I had a feeling wasn't that angrily.

"Happy Strider?" I asked. "Now come on, we have work to do."

"Ugh, I hate biology. And French," he complained. "Come on let's go to my room." I followed him into his room which was like always, a total mess. He had a bunch of crappy mix tapes stacked up on his desk, old homework assignments next to his backpack on the floor and a bunch of jars filled with dead things which always seemed to be watching me. Also Lil Cal was on his bed and that thing creeped me out.

"I keep forgetting you have a freaking messenger bag Karkat," Dave said, walking over and sitting on his bed. "So gay."

"Dave," I said trying to be calm "Dave I am literally at my BOYFRIEND'S house. On top of that, you are literally my boyfriend!"

"Ah, but you see, you're talking to Dave Strider here. No one would blame you for falling for someone like me. Maybe if we broke up no one would even call you gay. No one can resist the Strider charm."

"I've dated Sollux before."

"True, but that was just a mistake on your part." He walked over to me, "no offense."

I shrugged. "Whatever. Let's get to wo-" Then I was swept into a hug, Dave leaning down to my level a bit. Stupid Dave and his stupid tallness. "Dave get off m-" Then he leaned down and kissed me on the lips. Ugh, sometimes I hated Dave. I still kissed him back though, wrapping my arms around his neck. He pulled away for a second and whispered, "yes homo" as quietly as possible and I shoved him off of me.

"Get off Strider," I said, rolling my eyes, "we have work to do." Dave looked disappointed. "Ok so French or biology first?" Dave let out a long groan. "Biology it is."

"Fine. But I'm gonna get a shot of AJ first."

"Did you just say you were getting a shot of Apple juice?" You'd think I'd be used to Dave and his weirdness by now.

"Yep. Sounds more rebellious like this."

"Dave everyone knows you can easily get as drunk as you want, same with Lalonde. No need to sound rebellious with your apple juice." As soon as I said it a felt slightly guilty. He didn't exactly like the fact his half sister was an alcoholic or how there was tons of his brother's beer and vodka in their fridge. We'd tried some once. It tasted horrible for the most part. Either Dave didn't care or didn't let it show.

"I don't know what things are like in France, but here underage drinking is frowned upon. At least most of the time. Well maybe just half the time."

"For the last time I am NOT French," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Then explain why you're so good in French class?" Dave said, fake accusingly.

"Because I do this thing you've never heard of called studying," I said as sarcastically as possible.

Dave shrugged. "never heard of it. Now I'll be right back. AJ waits for no one. You want a glass?" I shook my head. "Okay I'll be right back." I waited, ignoring Cal to the best of my ability until Dave came back.

"Okay, let's do this," he said, sitting on the floor. "How again are we gonna do this again?"

I got the text book out of my backpack and turned back to him. "Come and sit on the bed with me."

"Ok," he got up and sat next to me. "Now what?"

"Now," I said, taking his apple juice bottle away, "I ask you a question from the practice test and if you get it right you get a sip of apple juice. We don't stop till you're out of apple juice."

"Wow man. That's just cold," he said. "Too cold to handle. I'm freezing here from your lack of sympathy for my personal need for apple juice. Any colder it'll be below zero. I'm getting frostbite."

"I get it Strider. Now are we going to start or not?" He groaned.

"You know Egbert was much easier on me in these things."

"Do I look like Egbert to you?" I said.

"Not at all," Dave moved closer to me. "You're better." He smiled and planted a quick kiss on my cheek.

"Not gonna get you out of this," I said, unfazed.

"Fine. Ask the first question."

"Ok, so this test is going to cover all the stuff we've learned this year," another groan. "Oh come on! First question. It's true or false ok? Amino acids determine a protein's shape."

"Those are some pretty big words Vantas."

"Just answer."

"Uh…true?"

"Yes." I handed him the glass and he took one sip. "No cheating."

"I'm not." He said, handing me back the bottle. "Now tell me Karkat, is anything better then apple juice?"

"Yes. Lots of things," I said. "Oh I forgot the mention something. You get something else every time you get a question right."

"What?" I leaned in and gave him the quickest kiss on the cheek in history.

"That's all Karkat?" he said.

"They get longer every time."

"Guess I should get more right. Now come one and ask the next question."

"True or false: Homeotic genes regulate the expression of other genes. If these genes have a mutation nothing will happen to the body."

"False," he said.

"Correct." I replied. Sip, kiss, next question.

"By what measures can genomes sizes be measured?"

"You know true or false questions are a lot easier."

"I don't care."

"Fine. In the amount of awesome shades they own and how many friends they have."

"Wrong. I said measured. So the answer is as an amount of DNA and number of genes."

This went on for a while, an hour almost, with kisses that were too long, stupid debates over answers of questions, and sips that were way more than just a sip. Finally Dave triumphantly claimed he was out of apple juice.

"Good job. Now some French."

"Karkat," he complained, "I thought we were done."

"Fine, but a little later, ok?" He looked happy at that.

"Ok, so what do you want to do now?" he said, sliding off his bed.

"Je tiens à faire remarquer avec votre visage vous insupportable idiot," I said with a smile.

"You'll never tell me what you said will you?"

"Nope," I smiled again.

He walked back over and grabbed a pillow and threw it at me. "Take that you heartless demon."

"So I'm heartless?" I asked, throwing the pillow back at him, harder.

"It's on," he said, hitting me with it.

"Dave we're acting like little girls at a sleepover," I said, annoyed for no real reason.

"Sounds like you're backing down from a challenge!" He slapped me with that stupid pillow again.

"No way Strider!" I proclaimed, grabbing the other pillow off the bed.

"Let's take this to the living room," he said. "Don't want scary dead stuff all over you would you Karkat?"

"You just don't want me to break your dumb camera." I somewhat swung at him.

He backed into out his door. "No, I just know you'd be pissed if dead stuff fell on you and we can't have that now can we Karkles."

"Don't call me Karkles!" I yelled. He just laughed and I got off his bed and walked over and hit him again.

"Ow! The pain is killing me Karkat. You don't understand how hurt I am. Take me to the hospital! I might just die!" I shoved my pillow in his face.

"Shut up!" he pushed me off and hit me in the side of the head.

"Never challenge a Strider. I thought you'd know that by now!" he said with a laugh. I dropped my pillow and shoved him "Oh no is Karkat gonna hurt me? Face facts, you're 5' 3'' and I've battled bro every day of my entire life. You don't stand a chance!" he picked up the pillow I'd dropped and shoved both in my face and I kinda fell down. "Now be silenced!"

I made a weird gagging noise and he took the pillows off my face. "Yo dude, you ok?" Then I pushed him off me and got on top of him. He raised his eye brows and I hit him with one of the pillows he dropped.

"Who's won this time Strider?" I said, panting somewhat.

He just smirked. "Me." Then he kicked me off him and rolled on top of me, pinning me down. "I have." He wasn't really trying to pin me though and so, with all the strength in my body, I managed to shove him off. He laughed and let me shove him off. I got back on top of him and he suddenly stopped smiling.

"Crap!" he shoved me off easily and then I noticed. His glasses had fallen off. "Crap where are they!?"

I crawled over to him "I think they're over th-"

"Don't look at me!" he yelled and I stopped. He'd totally lost his cool. It'd happened before but not like this. "Don't. Look. At. Me!"

"Dave-"

"What?" Then he turned to me and I saw. His eyes were scarlet red.

Just like mine.

"I know, I know I'm a freak. You can stop staring at me now!" He turned away and found his shades.

"Dave…"

"What!" he yelled, then calmed down. "What is it Karkat? Just going to tell me I'm a freak again? I've heard it a thousand times before. Trust me. Texas isn't a good place for mutants."

"Dave. Dave one second!" I got up and ran into the bathroom before he could say anything. When I got back he didn't look at me, shades back on.

"Dave look."

"What is it?"

"Just look for God's sake!" he did, then he gasped.

"_What_?"

"See, I'm a freak too," I said quietly. "Trust me there's no way I'm judging you."

"W-why'd you hide it from me?" he asked.

"Why you hide it from me?"

"I guess I thought you'd leave."

"Well I'm not. Happy? And take off those stupid shades now." he did.

"Yes," he said, kissing me on the lips for a few seconds, "I'm very happy."

**A/N: By the way the thing Karkat said in French was "I want to make out with your face you insufferable idiot."**


	12. Feferi and Nepeta

**Ship: Feferi and Nepeta**

**Words: 2,221**

**Warning: Sadstuck, character death (neither Nepeta nor Feferi)**

**Notes: I should be writing requests right now. Hmm. Oh well. This might be a slight rip off of a chapter on BTW. Sorry if it seems repetitive! Humanstuck, first year of college. Quick Question: do you guys want me to list the side pairings in these stories or do you care? If you care there's Sunken Erifef and Arasol! A bit OOC but I always feel OOC is unnecessary to put on sadstuck for many reasons you'll find boring. Let's just start the story.**

We'd met when we were young. Too young for me to clearly remember meeting. The only thing I remember was we met on a beach. His dad hated my mom, lord knows why. I guess I get it now. My mom never fully explained to me what had gone on between them and I had learned not to pry but I understood a bit. A lot happens when you're young, a lot you regret. Drunken parties, ugly fights, gruesome break ups, unnecessary make up. That's high school for you. Eridan would always say that the goal isn't to do it perfectly right, it's to look back and say you kissed all the right people, got a little too drunk, listen to your music to loud and passed all the right tests, bombed the unimportant ones, and in the end ended up happy.

Looking back on it know, I know I ended up happy. At the time I thought I didn't have a purpose but looking back on it now, I did.

My roommate was a bit immature at times, but I loved her to death, 'purrhaps' more literally then I wanted. I had stopped being Christian when I was a senior and I knew there was nothing wrong with liking a girl but still, I always felt in the back of my mind there was something wrong with my feelings towards her. Whenever I thought of her I thought of the look on my mother's face when Meenah came out and I instantly wished I didn't have a crush on her. Living your life knowing gays are going to hell makes it hard to accept you might be gay or bi. But we related so much! She's had a few bad times too and every day we both ended up ranting about our exes to each other while getting ready in the morning for our first classes, letting our coffee brew too long, rushing our makeup and fighting about who's puns were better. I'd end up running out the door of our dorm room a few minutes before she did and I'd call out "Sea ya, Nepeta," and she'd call out, "bye Fefurry." It was like that every morning. Then I'd go to class and pay much more attention than my friend Sollux did, elbowing him when he annoyed or distracted me. We only had Freshman English together, a class he found boring but I forced myself to pay attention to. I was going to be a marine biologist if it killed me and failing Freshman English wouldn't help in the slightest. Sollux was still unsure what he was majoring in but both his girlfriend Aradia and I knew he was going to become a computer programmer. Duh.

Every day Sollux would ask me if I wanted to come over to his dorm with Aradia after school and I would almost always decline. I had a ton of homework and had already spent too much of my life as a third wheel and if his roommate's girlfriend was over I'd be the fifth wheel which I decided was way worse. After class I'd always go back to our dorm and turn up my music too loud, order pizza and start my homework. Nepeta would get back and tell me my music was too loud and I'd turn it up until Vriska, the girl whose dorm was next door, would bang on the wall until I shut it off or turned it down. Today the music I chose was all stuff from musicals, including Disney movies. When Nepeta came in the Popular Song from Wicked was playing. She told me it was too loud. I turned it up and then _Let It Go_ came on.

That's went my daily routine stopped.

"Oh I love this song! Her voice is simply purrfect!" Nepeta said, walking over and turning up my old radio I got in 8th grade as a first anniversary present from Eridan. I'd still kept it all these years and even had a weird fight with Meenah when she came home for an awkward holiday season. She told me to throw it away while I said I wanted to keep it. She told me when you try to get over someone you trash everything they ever gave you. I didn't see any point in that. I still cared about Eridan so why throw it away? I assumed she was bitter about breaking up with Aranea and having to come back here for winter break, especially after the fight she had with my mom last year. I knew she had come back for my sake, said she'd made up with my mom, but I knew they hadn't. Holiday season would never be the same. This year I had plans to stay with Nepeta because she didn't have any family to go home to. I'd told her about last year and how Meenah had literally stormed out and sat in the snow until I went and got her. For a 25 year old she sure was immature.

"Fefurry? Are you ok?" Nepeta asked.

_"Come on Fef can't you just let it go?"_

_"And you call me a drama queen."_

_"Fef I'm sorry."_

"Fefurry?"

"Nepeta turn the song off," I stared at my hands. Why was I shaking? "Please."

She walked over and shut off the radio, staring at me. I ignored her. I was panting all of a sudden. When I looked up at her the walls had melted away like candle wax, leaving grass, dirt and the night sky instead.

_We were in a field and everything was on fire. I was on fire. I looked up and saw only smoke. My vision was blurring. I looked around frantically. The plan was gone, gone up in smoke and all I could feel was pain. I looked down at my hands and couldn't see them. I stumbled into nothingness, falling on things that weren't there. I reached a hillside overlooking a highway. I walked as fast as I could, feeling the heat of the fire behind me. I fell to my knees before I reached the road. I looked up and saw the stars twinkling._

_I wish I could say I thought something deep or profound before I passed out. I wish I could say I saw my life flash before my eyes and it was perfect. I wish I could say I thought of Eridan, wondered where he was, worried for his safety. I could have thought that I had lived a good life. I wish I was thinking about the time Eridan and I broke into the public pool when it was closed in the middle of summer and never got caught or the time Meenah and I got into a pun war and I had won or all the times I was nice to Tavros was no one else was. Even in fifth grade when I played match maker and actually got Jade and Karkat to date for a solid year. I wish I had thought of all the things I wanted to be remembered for._

_Instead I remember thinking stars were a nice thing to see before you died, then I passed out. _

"Nepeta," I said, looking up at her. "I need to tell you something. Something serious." I dropped the puns like I always did when I had something to talk about normally with Nepeta.

"Nepeta," I said quietly "I have some things to tell you." She nodded, giving me my cue to continue. "I met Eridan when I was very young on a beach. It was called Angel's Beach I think. My mom said she knew his dad and she said it with some disgust in her voice, I didn't notice because I was young. Anyway we instantly hit it off and became best friends right on that beach. I wish I could say the same about our older siblings, but nothing's ever perfect. His brother constantly hit on Meenah." I laughed a bit. "It got a bit ridiculous. Anyway that's not important. Eridan and I became best friends and next year he ended up going to my school! Our friendship only grew. I should have guessed he had a crush on me. He sent me the prettiest valentines, listened to my problems and gave simply the best hugs. We started dating in seventh grade and I wished I could say it went perfectly from there. It didn't. We became sort of on-again off-again boyfriend-girlfriend thing, which is never good! We didn't know what we were getting into at all. In our second year of high school we decided to start dating for real or call it off. We chose for real. It was the best and worst decision ever. We'd go to parties every Friday night and sometime I'd sleep over and we'd fall asleep watching crappy romcoms. It was perfect, but then," I paused, breaking off. I couldn't do this.

"It's ok Fefurry. You don't have to tell the rest. It's ok." She gave me a hug and I closed my eyes and when I did I saw the sky burning.

"We went on a trip together to Oregon. There we got into a fight. A big one. I was really upset and hurt. That night we broke up for good. We didn't even sit next to each other on the plane ride home. It was a small plane, really, only six others on the plane. Then…" I trailed off. I could smell the smoke in the air. It was thick and choking me. I leaned over and buried my face in Nepeta's stomach. She smelt like cats and olives which oddly smelled good together. She ran her fingers though my hair whispering quietly, "it's ok Feferi." Before I finished my story I thought of the way Nepeta smiled and how the moon could reflect off her eyes and how she made the best omelets in the world and although she had an adorable smile could shoot a shot gun and would go hunting sometimes. I thought of cat puns, and the way she brushed her hair holding a cup of coffee, swearing her professor was going to kill her if she was late one more time, and the time she smuggled a cat into our dorm room even though they said no pets, not even goldfish. I thought of everything she did, the simple things that made life normal from the shipping chart in her room to the friendship dates we went on every Saturday night.

I did that to remind me she was alive.

To remind me this was real.

I was alive.

I sat up. "The plane crashed. I was on fire." Tear streaks marked my face, like lines of the past drawn in permanent marker, something I couldn't erase. "I was the only one to make it out alive. That was three years ago. I moved her for college because I'm sick of being called a miracle. The only one who didn't buy it was Meenah. She'd always tell me to, well, to let it go." I smiled a bit. "That was our song for a bit. Our song changed all the time. The last one it was _Let it Go_."

"Fefurry…I just didn't know. I'm so sorry." She was actually concerned, not like the people I could tell were faking it, not sure what to say. They'd always say I was a miracle afterwards.

"Nepeta I don't want to forget. I just want the pain to go away."

"Well Fefurry I can tell you one thing, the pain's not just gonna go away. I was in a car crash with my parents and it just doesn't stop. You don't just wake up one day and feel alright. It's a long process."

"Nepeta I want to feel alive again," I said.

"One day you will, trust me. You need to find a reason to be alive. You need to learn to live again." Then it clicked. Everything Nepeta said was right except one thing.

I didn't need a single reason to feel alive again.

I didn't need a person or an object like that. I just needed to be alive. I closed my eyes and remembered what my therapist had said 'Feferi, I think you just need to learn how to live. Have you ever taken a moment and thought about why you're alive?' At the time I'd called him crazy because there was no reason I was alive, but now, because of Nepeta, I understood. I waited a moment and thought of the how the beach wind felt when it would blow though your hair, how the grass felt against bare feet, what it felt like after doing something stupid, something reckless, something you probably shouldn't. I thought of the feeling you get when the roller coaster drops. The feeling when you're speeding down a roller coaster with a beautiful girl next to you. Those moments when you think, "I've never felt so alive."

That's when I leaned over and kissed Nepeta.

"Feferi," she said, pulling away, "I didn't know…I mean…"

"I'm sorry!" I said, pulling away. Then she leaned forward and kissed me, her lips soft and perfect against mine.

And in that moment I'd never felt more alive.


	13. Feferi and Eridan

**Ship: Eridan and Feferi**

**Words: 3,905**

**Warnings: like one sentence of sadstuck**

**Note: This is my besties OTP and also this awesome person named scatteredPhilosopher. So I'm trying to do some different stuff writing wise (sort of like I tried to have little back and forth dialogue in the last chapter) I decided to make this one made completely out of letters, until the end. I also wrote this after a 'fight' with my friend about long distance/ internet relationships. Also Eridan totally broke his computer which is why they're writing letters, not pestering one another. Oh and CTE= Creative Theater Experience, which I'm guessing you've never heard of. Alright enough talk, on with this story!**

**PS: Sorry if I miss a fish pun**

**_September 1_****_st_****_ 2014_**

Dear Erifin,

It's been like, what, a few months since you've left and I miss you a ton. School starts tomorrow and I'm a bit worried because you haven't been online in a while. It's probably nofin. Maybe you're too busy being popular (as if 38P). I just hope I didn't ruin our relationship somehow, being too honest or somefin? I'm a bit worried. I reelly hope it's nofin. It better be nofin! I beta have not messed this up.

Anywave, what have you been doing over the summer? You know how weird it is to write letters because you never respond right awave. I guess I should just tell you what I did after you left in June. I went to CTE and got the part of Juliet. I only kissed Sollux once and you alwaves said you didn't care because I was acting. I hope you don't mind. I spend most of my time with Sollux and Aradia being a third wheel. I miss those double dates we used to go on. We'd alwaves crash at your place afterwards and hang out. Just hanging out was fun too. You know I miss just cuddling and kissing and any physical contact at all. And swimming with you. It was so hot this summer I swam a lot and alwaves thought of you.

I hope you're having fun in England. I'm so jealous! Remember the last time we hugged and kissed before your flight left? It was just like in the movies, but usually in the movies the otter dramatically comes back. I know you can't just come back, but I want you to. I can hear your voice in my mind and it calms me down. I hope you don't find that weird at all. I'm messing up aren't I? I'm sorry if I freak you out, but I do love your voice. A British accent along with whatever that w fin is is just so hot. Just saying.

I have to go now. I miss you a ton and can't wait till we can Skype again.

Your gillfriend,

Feferi

**_September 15 2014_**

Dear Fef,

I'm sorry I havven't gotten to wwrite back, I'vve been really busy. I knoww that's a horrible excuse, you're my girlfriend after all; I shouldn't be too busy for you. Let's blame it on late mail. Yeah that wworks.

First off I'm not mad at you at all! My laptop broke and this guy from school is helpin to fix it but it may take a wwhile. School's different here but in the wways you'd expect. WWe learn UK history instead of US history and all about UK govvernment and stuff. They also call the American Revvolution a rebellion wwhich I find kina funny. Also there's this wweird credit thin wwith the classes. And I'm not the only one wwith an English accent anymore. There's one kid from America named Karkat I'm friends wwith I guess. His other friend's American too and gets drunk a lot. Karkat nevver drinks evver and likes to yell at people and curses a lot. It's hilarious actually. Other then Kar my only other friend is this guy I barely knoww named Jake wwho is stereotypical British.

I don't care you kissed Sol because it's just a play you knoww? Also I find it funny imaginin Sol bein Romeo and lispin the wwhole time. WWish I wwas there to see you. Odds wwere you wwere beautiful. You're alwways beautiful.

I miss swwimmin too Fef. It wwas really fin and I lovved seein you smile. There's a pool here but Kar nevver wwants to go and it'd be lame to go alone. My parents are hasslin me to make friends but I think Kar's enough.

I'vve got a lot of homewwork but evven if I miss an assignment it'd be wworth it to wwrite and send this letter. I miss you as wwell.

I wwish I could say see you soon,

Eridan

**_October 10_****_th_****_ 2014_**

Erifin,

I've been busy, like alwaves. I'm working on the school play which is _West Side Story_. I couldn't kelp but remember last year when we talked about how we could get a romantic part in a play and kiss and stuff like that. Those dreams are stupid now. I hope someone I know like Sollux gets to be Tony because I'm Maria. I don't mean that I like Sollux, just I hope I have to kiss someone I know.

I was reading about long distance relationships and it said to do fins at the same time, even if not together, so I was wondering if on Saturday next week (this letter should be there by then) you could watch the Doctor Who marathon. I whale too. Maybe it'll make it feel like we're together or at least I'll have Doctor Who to take my mind off of fins. There's a new girl named Nepeta and because she we hang out a lot and she sits where you used to in the computer lab people make jokes about us dating. It's stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. It's also reelly stupid if you didn't get that.

Nofin else is reelly up. Sollux says Aradia's been acting weird, there's too much homework, people are making a big deal about how if we fail this year we're not going to college and the football team sucks but Sollux and I dragged Nepeta to a game because it's a tradition. Remember that? It was your first year and we dragged you there and the whole time you said you hated foot ball. After wards we went to red lobster for no reel reason and people had to ask to move because we were so annoying. We kept making jokes about if we were on the football team and how the team wouold then suck even more than it did now. A month laker we did it again, except this time we went to IHOP and ordered half the menu before getting 'drunk off laughter' as I call it. Then we kissed up in the back seat of Sollux's car.

Anotter fin they said in the article about long distance relationships is to send one anotter some of our objects to hold and stuff. So I also send you my favorite necklace and a pair of my goggles.

I'm writing a story about us in writing class. It's meant to be fiction but my teacher knows nofin. Though you'd like to know that. I've also decided I want to be an actor for shore went I grow up. Hey if we get married I could bring in some cash. Have you decided what you want to be? I asked Sollux but he just said, "I'm not sure who I want to be yet," I don't know if he's referencing his bi-polarness or not.

Bye for now Eridan! Happy Halloween.

Bye,

Feferi

PS: I'm being you for Halloween, just as a joke 38P

**_November 1_****_st_****_ 2014_**

Fef,

I'm sorry I nevver got to wwrite you back. Like really sorry. I did wwatch the Doctor WWho marathon though. I also put your glasses on and I wwas briefly you for Hallowween. I wwent to a dumb Hallowween party then wwent over to Kar's house wwith his stoner friend Gamzee. The Hallowween party wwas borin and this girl named VVriska kept hittin on me in the wweirdest wway, like wwith subtle death threats and stuff. WWhen wwe wwent to Kar's house Gam decided to go spraypaint this big wwall around this park. Kar tried to talk him out of it, failed, and wwe all ended up in Frost Park at around 1 o'clock in the mornin. Gam spraypainted a bunch of curse wwords and Kar rolled his eyes and said, "wwoww, so rebellious," and wwe left.

Last night I remembered the time wwe wwent to the movvies and saww VValentine's Day, that one movvie wwith Taylor Swwift in it I think. I hated it and you thought it wwas fine and afterwwards wwe wwent to a VValentine 's Day dance Sol wwas hostin and wwe sloww danced for a wwhile before drinkin all the punch and ditchin the party, ran around Deww Park in the rain, kissed, rain soaked and cold. Then wwe wwent to your house and stayed up all night talkin about our feelins. You said you miss contact wwhile I miss just talkin. I hope my computer is fixed by Equ soon. He says he's been busy.

I also sent you my scarf. I'll make sure to send you a Christmas present so I'll get to you on time.

Miss you a ton,

Eridan

**November 12****th**** 2014**

Dear Eridan,

This is a month to be thankful right? I made a list of everyfin I'm thankful for and thought you'd like to sea it.

The ocean and cuttlefish

Fronds like Aradia, Nepeta and Sollux

The ability to act

The fact I can pretend that I don't need glasses because of my goggles

Sunny autumn days went the sun is just warm enough

Leaf piles

Family, even if they're a pain

A perfect boyfrond, no matter how far away

Though you'd like to know. I miss you dearly. I miss you calling me beautiful every day and coming to watch me at my plays and sharing food at lunch and stupid heart shaped cookies. I wore your scarf all week and sleep with it. It smells like you. Also on an unrelated note Sollux finally admitted he misses you. Nepeta says she ships us (she ships many fins) and Aradia admits we were a cute couple. People make jokes about how I'm having withdrawal. I'd laugh it they meant it in a nice way. They don't. They mean I'm desperate and dying for someone to kiss me and hug me and say they love me and won't ever leave me. The act like I'll kiss anyone for no reason. I'll get over them and their rudeness even if at points it gets out of hand, like getting notes that say they'd make out with me if I paid them $10. It's just rude. I'd never kiss a single one of them! The next pair of lips that touch mine will be yours, or whale, maybe John's because he's Tony in _West Side Story_. I was think we cod meet up this summer, but my mom seems to hate giving me money for any reason. Why, I don't know. What's the point of being multi millionaires if one person hoards the money?

I also have two fins you have to do. One is to get the book _The Perks of Being a Wallflower _and read it. I heard that if Long Distance Relationship Couples (LDC) read books at the same time it helps them bond and stuff. The otter fin is to answer these ten questions and send me ten more. Like twenty questions but we're farther apart.

1. What's your biggest fear?  
2. What's your favorite smell?  
3. What's the craziest fin you've ever been asked to do and DID?  
4. What's the best pick up line you've ever used?  
5. Most embarrassing moment?  
6. Biggest lie you've ever told?  
7. Longest relationship you've ever had?  
8. If you cod change one fin about yourself what would it be?  
9. If you cod change one fin about me what would it be?  
10. The hardest fin you've ever been through?

Write soon,

Feferi

**_November 23 2013_**

Dear Fef,

They don't celebrate Thanksgivvin here but my family's doin it just cause. Kar's goin to come ovver because he said he enjoyed Thanksgivvin back in America but his neww parents don't celebrate it. Kar's adopted if you wwere wwonderin. He told me a lot about himself wwhen Gam got him high at a party. He's had a pretty tough life filled wwith drugs and money and stuff. It's a long story I shouldn't go into, for his sake. His life and I doubt he wwants a random girl from California to knoww. No offense.

My mom's goin shoppin Black Friday and I wwas thinkin about wwhat to givve you for Christmas. I had a perfect plan already, and yes you'll havve to wwait in suspense until the 25th. I also havve the answwers to your questions.

Someone close to me dyin

WWho am I, Terezi? I guess I like the smell wwinter, if you knoww wwhat I mean.

Ask the pretty girl wwith the pink goggles out on a date.

The best ones I'vve used are, "you're so flawwless I forgot my pick up line," and, "I'm not tryin to impress you or anythin but I'm Batman."

My life (just kiddin I can't think of anythin other than the time I asked Sol to dance at the VValentine's Day dance a feww years back, but that wwas a dare)

"Feferi? Nah, I don't like her like that,"

4.5 years, wwith you.

Make my glasses a little less hipster

You'd be closer

Nothin really, just bein apart from you (so sappy and cheesy and true)

That wwas kinda fun really. Noww the neww questions (totally didn't get these from Kar. Not at all)

WWhat's the most important thin money can buy for you?

WWhat wwould you name your first child?

Howw many kids do you wwant to havve?

Howw do you describe me to other people?

WWhen wwas the last time you cried?

Biggest fear (stole that one from you and not Kar)?

WWhat's your least favvorite thin about yourself?

Do you still believve in mermaids? (One original one on here wwoohoo)

Do you think you can dance?

Do you enjoy Romcoms?

That's about all for noww Fef. Happy Thanksgivvin!

You're wwhat I'm thankful for,

Eridan

**_December 12 2013_**

Dear Eridan,

Merry Christmas! This box contains your present so I'll keep this letter very little about me. Nepeta, Aradia, Sollux and I sang Christmas carols in Treasure Mall this weekend, we made fake snow and threw it all down the hallways in school and Nepeta and I did a charity event for kids with cancer. I keep thinking about last Christmas when we got a ton of fake snow and had a snowball fight, went home and had hot cocoa in 60 degree weather and cuddled by the fake fire. That was so much fun. Now on to the contents of your present!

First are these bracelets I found on line for LDR couples that says 'Love Knows No Distance." I thought they were cute so I bought them. I gave you the purple one because everyone knows it's your secret favorite color. I have a brown one cause brown's cool too.

Now your main gift is this Interactive Pillow! I love it to death! If you touch the pillow from wherever you are I'll feel presshore on my pillow! I'd love to try it out some time. Maybe 26th at noon my time? Sea if it works out you know? That would be fun.

I reelly miss you this holiday season. I wish you were here. Also, here are the answers to those questions.

A plane ticket to you. (maybe that was a bit sappy 38P)

River or Adeline.

2-4

My fabulous hipster boyfriend who gives the best hugs in the world.

I kinda had a stress attack with too much work and shopping and stuff on the 8th

Fire and spiders

I'm slightly chubby in my opinion.

Maybe…38P

That's a tv show. And Kinda.

Some yes, otters are fun to make fun of.

Miss you dearly and merry Christmas!

Write to you soon,

Feferi

**_December 14_****_th_****_ 2013_**

Dear Feferi,

It's been 6 months exactly today and wwe're still strong. It snowwed here today. Real snoww! Sadly that's the most excitin thin that's happened so far, but wwe really shouldn't talk about me here.

Scale mates! I actually got Kar to get in contact wwith Tere and she helped make them. I keep askin Kar to let me use his computer but he says no for wwhatevver reason. Anywway this one is meant to be you wwhile another's meant to be me. The one wwith the H thin on it is you (I thought you'd guess because the goggles) and the one wwith the WW thin and the scarf and cape is me, of course. She sent Kar a picture and I hope you like them! My idea by the wway, plus I paid her.

Then that one necklace you said you lovved last year but couldn't buy. I found it again in a store nearby and it really is the same one! It's vvery pretty seein it up close. Also I got you all the Doctor WWho seasons avvailable on DVD and last but not least a mix tape wwith all of 'our' songs on it.

I hope you like it! And one more gift.

I wwant you to knoww I lovve you.

I'm sorry I had to wwrite it and couldn't say it.

I mean evverythin I say,

Eridan.

**_January 3_****_rd_****_ 2014_**

Eridan,

I'm so sorry. A few nights I was at a New Years Eve party Sol was hosting and I didn't know anyone. I didn't have a thing to drink but this one guy did. I didn't know him but we were sitting alone in the back of the party and he continued to hit on me, even after I told him I had a boyfriend. He told me it didn't matter. I decided to leave and he told me not to leave. I told him to back up and he pinned me up against a wall and kissed me all up and down my neck then began literally making out with me until Nepeta saw and pulled him off of me. I went home crying and I'm pretty sure Sollux beat the crap out of him.

I didn't mean to, I wasn't flirting or leading him on. I feel like I did something wrong.

Please forgive me.

I love you.

I'm sorry,

Feferi

**_January 17_****_th_****_ 2014_**

Dear Feferi,

Feferi you have no reason to be sorry. I'm so serious I'm dropping the dumb w and v thing. Feferi you did nothing wrong it was his fault. You're beautiful Feferi. If I didn't forgive you, as if there is something you need to be forgiven for, _I _would be the bad guy. You did nothing wrong. Always remember that.

Feferi, I will never stop loving you.

You're smart and beautiful and strong and brave and I forgive and I love you.

Never forget that.

I hope to see you soon,

Eridan

**_February 7_****_th_****_ 2014_**

Eridan,

Thank you.

Thank you some much.

February 14th try out the pillow.

I can't write much now, but I love you.

I hope I see you soon too,

Feferi

**_February 15_****_th_****_ 2014_**

Dear Eridan,

Thank you some much for the flowers! That was so sweet! I sent you somefin in the box to. Those somefin's may or may not be too much chocolate. Maybe.

I'm so glad the pillow fin works. I felt like you were there or at least as close as you'll be for a while. February has been a hard month, I've been thinking of you and seaing couples all lovey dovey everywhere isn't helping. I want to sea your face, to hold your hand, to kiss, to hug, to talk and cuddle. I miss you so badly lakely. Also your note with the flowers is very mysterious. "The Best Is Yet To Come- EA". You leave me in too much suspense. What is a girl to do? 38P

I'll write more laker,

Feferi

**_February 20_****_th_****_ 2014_**

Dear Eridan,

Today I finally finished the _Perks Of Being a Wallflower_. Have you? I was bawling by the end. It was just so good. We should try to watch the movie at the same time soon! It's my new favorite book. I should frame it. Just kidding of course.

Nepeta and I did anotter charity fundraiser thing for kids with cancer and the first performance of _West Side Story_ was yesterday. I pretended that John was you. I didn't work very whale because John's to short and even nerdier then you! I hope you write soon, especially because somebody's birthday's coming up! Also yours is tomorrow so HAPPY BIRTHDAY 38D

Present in the box obviously! Just want you to know I'm saving money for a plane tickets! Maybe we'll sea each otter over the summer! By then it'll have been a year. Time goes slowly without your lover!

I'll add some questions to the next one, but I have to go now.

Love you,

Feferi

**_March 11_****_th_****_ 2014_**

Eridan,

No fish puns this time. I'm worried about you. Are you ok? You haven't written back and I'm nervous. Really nervous. Did something happen to you? I'm just over eacting aren't I? Yeah that's it. You're fine just haven't had time to write. That's it.

I'm going to act like this is a normal letter. Sollux and Aradia almost broke up and Nepeta almost cried because she said she shipped it so hard. I turned in the really, really long paper about us. My teacher gave me an A on it and I'm so happy! It was perfect. I'll send it to you sometime.

I should go now before I freak out and start writing gibberish. I miss you and I'm worried.

Please reply,

Feferi

**_March 19_****_th_****_ 2014_**

Eridan,

It's my birthday. This time last year we were in a fancy restaurant throwing food at each other and laughing our heads off. We went for a walk on the beach together later, smiling, happy to be together, never thinking you'd be heading back to England. You gave me earrings and a necklace that matched perfectly and a few new books. I was so in love but never said it.

You haven't sent any letters in a while.

I'm missing you.

I'm sorry I can't do this.

-Feferi

I was holding back tears, putting the letter in its envelope. I was missing him so badly it hurt. My birthday had been fine but I had barely had any cake. I sighed and walked over to the door with the letter.

Then I heard a knock on the door.

I went to open it, unsure who it could be. When I opened it there was a boy, 18 years old with hipster glasses, a purple streak in his hair, a blue and black scarf and a weird purple cape. He was holding a suitcase and a gift box and smiled at me.

Eridan.

Before he could say anything I knocked him to the ground and kissed him, he fell back, dropping his stuff, but then smiled. He kissed me to, hugging me. I missed him so much more than I thought. I buried my face in his cape and took in a deep breath. He smelled like he always did, like the seashore and Starbucks coffee. He kept hugging me and kissing me and I realized I was crying. I had missed him.

"Happy Birthday Fef," he said with a smile, "I lovve you!"


	14. Dave and John Number Two

**Ship: John and Dave**

**Words:2,076**

**Warning :None :B**

**Note: Dave John round too, a special one for Valentine 's Day! This one's based off of MusicalBlink's idea and is a request from the awesome people MusicalBlink and ICan'tAlwaysBeWitty! Hope you had a good Valentine's day and weren't forever alone :) Age in this story: 28. Side pairings: Rosemary**

turntechGodhead [TA] began trolling ectoBiologist [EB]

TG: yo

TG: yo egderp

TG: you up?

TG: jooohn

TG: dude, it's valentine's day

TG: also like ten o'clock

TG: you should be up by now

TG: we've got a date tonight

TG: at like 4 or 5

TG: can't really remember

TG: that's pretty much why I'm pestering you

TG: I feel bad

TG: jooohn

TG: come on

TG: were you like up all night partying?

TG: wait no, you were talking to me

TG: you were probably studying

TG: geez Egderp, who knew school would out this much strain on you

TG: john

TG: joohhn

TG: john john john john

TG: will you ever wake up?

TG: or will you just sleep for eternity

TG: you can't miss our valentine's day date

TG: i've been waiting like at least 4 days for this

EB: Dave I'm up, you happy?

TG: awe

TG: yeah

TG: I did it

TG: how long have you been up?

EB: ugh like five minutes

TG: and you're just now responding? I'm hurt

EB: I was waiting until you stopped spamming me

TG: that's the problem John

TG: I cannot be stopped

TG: I will spam until my dying breath

EB: and until the end of time, yeah, yeah I know

TG: hey Egderp?

TG: wait should I call you Egderp?

TG: like something seems wrong with calling you baby or something like that

EB: just call me Egderp

TG: ok Egderp

TG: so five or four o'clock

EB: five o'clock

TG: I'll pick you up. Trust me I have this night all planned out

EB: alright. See you later :B

EB: I have to take a shower and crap. I also have to wrap your present

TG: awe yeah I get a present

TG: anyway bye Egderp. See you at five

turntechGodhead [TG] ceased pestering ectoBiologist [EB]

JOHN'S POV

Sometimes it was nice waking up to my boyfriend texting me. Other days it was just annoying. Right now it was a bit of both. Then again, today was a very important day and I couldn't just sleep through it. I pulled out my cell phone and began text Jade (why Dave still uses Pesterchum I may never know).

_Hey Jade if you're still on for helping me out later can you come in 45 minutes?_

She replied with 'sure be over soon,' which was awesome. I really did need her help this time. I took a shower and had some toast and tried to make it seem like I'd been up for a while. I got around 20 boxes out of my closet and put them down on the floor in the middle of my living room. Maybe soon Dave would move in with me. Odds were though I'd move in with him because his apartment was much larger. I got out wrapping paper, scissors and tape and before I knew it there was a knock on the door.

"Hey Jade," I say, opening the door.

"Hey John," she says, letting herself in. I can't help but think she's been awake for hours. Jade always liked to get up early.

"So what do we have to do?" she asks, looking around. "That's a lot of boxes," she notes, sitting down on the couch.

"I need help sort of wrapping all these," I say, pointing to the boxes

"Why?"

"I want to drive Dave insane."

"Sounds like a plan," she says, standing up and walking over. "Let's start!"

"Ok, let me get the actual present first!" I run back into my room and quickly look on my dresser and find a small black box. In it is my present, the perfect present. I walk back outside to Jade, who has put almost all the boxes inside each other just with the lids off.

"John, there are 16 layers by the way."

"17," I say, showing her the box.

"It better be a good present," she says "or else he's gonna just be pissed off."

"Oh trust me, it's a great gift! I mean it it's the best one yet."

"Why are you so set on messing with Dave?" she mumbles, getting the wrapping paper.

"Because I'm a pranking master and even my boyfriend can't hide. Even if he's mad he'll just get over it"

After that we continued in near silence, wrapping ever third layer, each a different kind of wrapping paper. After nearly an hour of wrapping we were done, triumphantly looking at the over sized present.

"Thanks for the help Jade! Usually my wrapping turns out…."

"Horrible? Dreadful? Awful? John I've spent several Christmases with you I know your wrapping abilities.

"Thanks Jade," I said, rolling my eyes "really."

"Now John, let's get you looking good for your date tonight," she says with a smile. I should have known. She leads me to the bedroom and starts tossing things out of my drawer.

"Hey Jade, I want you to know that, well um tonight, I plan to ask Dave…"

"To marry you?" she asks, not breaking her stride.

"How did you know?" I'm blushing uncontrollably for a bit.

"I can tell. Plus Rose, Nepeta and I agreed you had plans to. You're perfect for each other and you know you'll never find a soul like Dave's. I'm happy for you."

I walk over and give her a hug "Thanks Jade."

"Do I look ok Rose?"

"You like fine Dave,"

"I'm just kinda nervous for tonight."

She laughs a bit "You and me both! Why are you so nervous for tonight?"

I shrug, knowing the real answer but not wanting her to know. "I don't know."

"Do you have John's present ready?"

"Yep." The present was on my bed, wrapped and ready for tonight. I looked at myself again in the mirror. "Are you sure I look fine? I'm not too fancy?"

"I'm positive Dave. Well it depends I guess on where you're going."

"First a fancy restaurant, then the movies to see a new romance movie then last we're going to go to Wind and Shade Park where we had our first date."

"Romantic," Rose says, messing with my hair a bit.

"Stop that," I mumble

"Why? You said you wanted to look nice. I'm just being a good sister," she says, stopping none the less.

"Anyway, after that we're going to Clockwork Hill and look up at the stars and talk about our feelings and crap. I'll also give him the present there."

"Hmm, seems like a good night," Rose says. She has walked over to my bed and is staring out my window. "Now what's so important about this present? From what I can tell it's just a bunch of Nick Cage movies."

"And the Special Edition Con Air movie." I say

"Still, no offense, it doesn't seem like the greatest Valentine's Day present Dave."

"Trust me, it's the best gift yet."

"John may be expecting something, well, a bit more from you."

"Trust me Rose, I know what I'm doing. Have I ever let you down?"

"Several times, but I'll trust you."

"So what's going down with you and Kanaya tonight?" I ask, changing subjects.

"Nothing much. Dinner and then Kanaya got invited to a Valentine's Day party we're going to attend. Speaking of which I should go get ready."

"Ok cool," I say, turning back to face her. She stands up.

"Good bye Rose." As she walks towards the door I decide to do it. "Good luck with your proposal." She stops short.

"Dave how on earth did you know?" she seems so in shock. "I haven't told anyone yet, other then her mother because I had to ask her first. How did you-"

"Relax Rose. Let's say it was a lucky guess. Also open this," I threw her the Con Air disk I hadn't wrapped yet. She opens it and smiles before closing it and tossing it back.

"Good luck on your proposal to Dave," and with that she walks out, smiling.

After I hear the door slam and grab my keys and leave. John's waiting outside his apartment building, smiling.

"Hey Dave," he says, getting in the passenger seat, "where to first?"

After a somewhat fancy dinner where older couples glared at us for being too loud we walked outside and stood in the rain for a few minutes because we had a bit until the movie.

"That was fun," John says with a buck toothed grin.

"Yes it was," I say, leaning over and kissing him. I heard a lady who was waiting at the bus stop gasp a little bit. I roll my eyes but no one can tell behind my shades. John and I had gotten used to Homophobic people a long time ago. As I walk by her I hear her whisper something along the lines of us going to hell.

"You're going to hell for judging," I say and kiss John again, slipping my hand into his.

"So Dave," John asks as we got into the car, "what movie are we going to see?"

"Some new Romance movie called "'Endless Love' I think." We get to the movies, get two large sodas, a big bowl of popcorn and front seats, all of which I pay for, despite John's complaints. It's worth it though, even if we don't see much of the movie. But on Valentine's Day when you go see a romance movie with your boyfriend, are you really meant to watch?

"So home now?" John asks as we leave the theater.

"No way Egbert." It's not completely dark out when we go outside, but a bit cold. John's surprised about the trip to Wind and Shade Park.

"Wow Dave! It's been a long time since we've been here!"

"Come on John," I say, slipping my hand into his, "let's take a walk." And we do. We walk down to the lake and across the park. We talk about anything that comes to mind, laughing all the while. I even take of my shades, just for him –he's seen my eyes before- and he stared into my scarlet eyes and told me they were beautiful. Finally after a while walking we stopped.

"Now Egderp, why don't you go get your present and I'll get one for you and we'll meet up on Clockwork Hill?" He nods. "Oh and in case some freak accident happens, take this to remember me by," I kiss him for longer the necessary then smile. "Now let's go get our presents. He walks off and I walk back to my car and get the gift out of the trunk, then I go up and wait for him on Clockwork Hill. Then he comes up, carrying a huge present.

"For me?" I ask. "That's pretty big Egderp."

"Yep. Now whose present first?"

"How about yours?"

"Nah, let's do yours."

We go back and forth for a bit before deciding to open them at the same times. I unwrap the first layer, only to see another layer bellow it.

"Haha, John," I say, rolling my eyes and moving on to the next layer, meeting the same fate. Of course he'd do something like this.

"Wow that's a ton of Nick Cage movies!" he says and I can tell he's happy."Is that Special Edition Con Sir?" he says with a gasp. I unwrap yet another layer.

"How many layers are there?" I ask, angry. He just laughs. After ten layers I'm a bit pissed off. "Geez John." 15 layers. "John this isn't funny!" then I reach the center. "This better be it. The moment we've been waiting for. How many layers are there like 20?"

"17," he says.

"Hey John, open up the Con Air ok? At the same time. Ok, 3, 2, 1." We both rip open our gifts and I gasp a bit. Inside the box is a ring, gold and silver. There's also a note that says, "Dave strider, will you marry me?" I look up at him. He's in shock too, reading my note and seeing my ring. We look into each other's eyes and at the same time whisper ,"yes." I slide my ring on his finger.

Then I lean over and wrap my arms gently around his neck and kiss him. "I love you forever John." I say quietly.

"I love you too," he replies, "forever and always. I say yes all the way."


	15. Eridan and Sollux

**Ship: Eridan and Sollux **

**Words: 2,139**

**Warnings: None**

**Note: So Eridan Sollux is my NOTP when it comes to red rom. But I'm doing it because I have like two requests. Also I've started doing this thing for Sollux so instead of 'to' or 'too' he says 'two.' I didn't do it before because no one could tell the difference but I figured if I did things like 'sea' instead if 'see' for Feferi might as well do this. No side pairing and some OOC. They're trolls in this, around 16 years/ 7.38 sweeps without the game.**

"Um no way. I think I'll go back to my hive now ED. Bye." My Matesprit and I stood on the beach, my feet in the water, waves slowly covering them. Sollux and I were having our first date in a long time. Living far apart sucked. Of course I had spent way too long planning out this dumb date. There was no way he was ditching me now. I'd waited two and a half months for this. I grabbed Sollux's arm before he could escape.

"No wway Sol! Wwe've been plannin this date for forevver! You aren't bailin now!" I tried the best puppy dog eyes I could. "Please Sol?"

"ED you're hive'th in the middle of the ocean. I'm a _land dweller_! I can't breathe underwater!" he complained, pulling against my arm.

"WWell duh! WWe're not goin to my hivve!" I let go of his arm and pointed out into the water to an island not far away, so close you could see each tree individually. "See ovver there? That island? WWe're goin ovver there."

"Forget it. It's two far ED. Can't we go to my hive?"

"No wway! Look Sol, you're hivve's too far awway, wwe wwouldn't get there before mornin'. Just come on and swwim." I was sort of annoyed at him. Why didn't he just swim?

"You know what they thay. Highbloodth float and low bloodth sink."

"That's just a myth and you know it. Sea dwwellers made it up just so loww bloods wwould stay away," I said with a roll of my eyes.

"Come on ED let'th jutht go." Then it hits me.

"You can't swwim can you?"

"What? Of courthe I can! I don't know why you would think that." I was right.

"It's fine if you can't swwim," I said, trying to cover up my laughter, "I'll just teach you."

"ED," he said firmly, "let'th jutht go."

"Ok Sol. Let's teach you howw to swwim," I smiled. "I'll teach you as fast as I can."

"I don't want anyone to teach me," He mumbled yet came over to the water, letting the water lap over his feet. "It's freezing."

"Yeah right. You're just makin excuses noww." The water was a bit cold but it wasn't that bad. "Look Sol wwe wwon't be in the wwater long."

"No matter what we'll be in two long," he said. "Let'th get thith over with."

"Alright," I said, smiling a tiny bit. "Noww," I walked father into the water, "just followw me."

"I'm going to end up drowned aren't I?" he said mostly to himself, following me.

"You're not going to drowwn! You're talking to Eridan Ampora, king of the sea. Like you'd drowwn wwith me," I said, and he snickered.

"That ith anything but comforting. Now I'm thure I'll drown."

"I find that offensivve," I said with a smile. "Noww come on, wwe havve wwork to do." He grumbled some more then walked all the way over to me till we were about waist deep in water. "First thing, nevver panic. You'll drowwn. Nevver turn your back on the ocean. You'll drowwn. Nevver panic wwhile turning you back on the ocean. Then you'll drowwn twwice." Sollux rolled his eyes and I kept going "Noww just lift your feet off the floor and movve your arms and kick. Then you'll just be floating." I showed him how, something so natural to me, lifting my head as high above the shallow water as possible. "Noww you try." He looked doubtful but started moving his arms like I was.

"You might wwant to take your feet off the ground," I said.

"Fine." He moved his feet off the bottom and let out a small girlish scream and I couldn't help but laugh. "Crap I'm going to die," he said, quickly putting his feet back on the ground. Was it this hard to teach all land dwellers to swim or was it just Sollux?

"Sol," I said, "do you knoww wwhat wwe're swwimmin in?"

"The ocean?"

"What kind of water is this then?"

"What doeth that even mean? There different kindth of water?"

"Sol," I said as calmly as possible, "it's salt wwater."

"Oh," he said quietly.

"Do you knoww wwhat that means?" He shook his head. "Sol you're going to glubbin float."

"Oh," he said a bit embarrassed.

"Ok let's try again," I swam over to him. "I'll help you if anything goes wwrong."

"Fine," he mumbled. He lifted up one leg and started kicking, then the other.

"Ok good enough. I'll be right next to you the wwhole time ovver there to help and wwe don't havve much time. Noww followw me." I swam back to where it was shallower and he followed, mostly walking on the sandy ocean floor. It was just below our necks and it was time for the next lesson. "Ok put your hands on my wwaist."

"Why?" he said, confused and suspicious.

"Just do it," I said. Why didn't he just listen to me? He out his hands on my waist and I put my hands on his shoulders. I just wanted to pull him closer into a hug but we really didn't have much time. Morning was fast approaching. "Noww Sol, do you trust me?"

"What?"

"Do you, Sollux Captor, trust me?" I said, looking him straight in the eyes.

"Yeah, but why?"

"Ok good," I said. I lovve you and don't freak out and don't let go of me."

"Ok but wh-"

"Hold your breath," I said and with that I pulled him down, submerging us both in the salty water. For a few blissful moments he wasn't in a panic and it was just the two of us, completely under the clear water. Then of course Sollux flipped out. He let go off me and started letting all his air out then trying to breathe in.

"Sol calm dowwn," I said, or more like tried to say. My words turned into bubbles and floated to the surface. He was sort of calming down but still was a bit panicked. Since I had all the air in the world I was totally calm and leaned over and kissed him so he would stop letting all his air out and didn't swallow any more water. He tried to shove me off but I wrapped my arms around his waist and shook my head a bit. He was so stupid sometimes. I pulled him up and dragged him to the shallower water. He spit out some water and took a deep breath of air before glaring at me.

"What wath that for ED?" he demanded, standing up.

I tried not to laugh at him. "You havve to get used to bein underwwater."

"If you didn't know there are better wayth to do that then thoving me underwater without warning!" he looked ridiculous when he was angry.

"I did tell you to hold your breath," I pointed out.

"Whatever. A bit more warning next time maybe?"

"Maybe," I said. "Come on you havve to admit that wwas pretty hilarious."

He sighed and smiled, "ok maybe a little bit." I loved it when he smiled. "I'm thtill mad though."

"Yeah right," I said with a roll of my eyes "Plus admit it, underwwater kissing is the best kind."

"That wath the firtht time you ever kithed anyone underwater and you were jutht doing it tho I wouldn't die."

"Maybe, but that doesn't stop it from bein hot. Noww come on wwe havve more to do." We spent the rest of the night. I tried my best to get Sollux to swim, which went better than expected. Sadly he was still just starting when the sun began to rise.

"Ok Sol," I said, eyeing the rising sun, "ready?"

"What? No way ED," he said, looking at the island.

"The sun's risin. WWe'vve got to go. Noww or nevver. Don't say nevver, evven as a joke. I didn't wwaste a wwhole night helpin you so you'd back dowwn. Plus I'll be right next to you. Ok?"

He looked at the sun then at the island. For a few moments I thought he was going to leave, say to forget it, that it wasn't worth it. Then he turned to me with a half forced smile "Let'th do thith ED."

"Great," I said, smiling as well, "might wwant to take off your glasses though."

He sighed and took them off "what about you?"

I shrugged "Mine seem to like stayin on. Noww come on let's go." I started wading out into the water. "Ready?" I asked. He shook his head "come on Sol, wwe'vve got to go."

"I'm coming, but I'm definitely not ready," he said.

"WWhatevver Sol," I said, "let's go." I ducked under the water and looked back at Sollux. The water here was much clearer than where Fef and I lived. I could see him perfectly. He was hesitating, of course. I swam over to him and broke the surface again.

"Sol wwhat are you wwaitin for?" I asked, annoyed.

"I don't know, I'm a bit nervouth," he said. I sighed.

"Come on Sol." I grabbed his arm and pulled him in. He pulled his head up, sputtering.

"Fine ED. Let'th go," he sighed and ducked under the water and started swimming. I smiled and followed after him, catching up to him quickly and passing him easily. He pushed his head above the water and I did as well.

"How can you thwim tho fatht?" he asked, sort of mad for whatever reason.

"Sea dwweller," I said, swimming father ahead, then back again.

"You know ED the ithland ith farther than I thought. I might not make it there," he said.

"Wwhatevver Sol. As if." I rolled me eyes

"I'm theriouth ED," he said, stopping for a moment. "I've had literally a few hourth of learning how to thwim. I'm amazed I got thith far."

"Wwhatevver Sol," I said, "come here." He swam over to me and I grabbed his arm. "Push up and I'll go up. WWhy couldn't you be born wwith gills?" I didn't wait for a response, pulling him underwater. I held his arm and he wrapped his other arm around me and I started swimming. It seemed as though we had gotten nowhere when he pulled up on my arm and I went up to the surface. We did this a couple of times until we reached water shallow enough for him to walk.

"Thankth ED," he said quietly, like he didn't want to admit I'd actually helped him, just like when we were younger.

"No problem. Noww come on." I started walking down the island's shore and Sollux ran and caught up with me.

"Where're we going?" he asked.

"Places."

"Thankth," he said sarcastically. We kept walking up the sandy beach and I saw an oyster on the beach. I picked it up and cracked it open.

"Look Sol, there's a pearl inside it," I said, moving the pearl around my fingers, discarding the rest of the oyster. "It's really pretty. Almost as pretty as me." I walked over and slipped it into his hands "remember me and my beauty evverytime you look at it." I smiled and he rolled his eyes. I slid my hand into his and led him down the beach some more. I looked over and saw the sunrise and walked a bit faster.

We reached the other side of the island. "There," I said, pointing to a small hive I had made not long ago. "Big surprise. Noww let's go inside before the sun comes out."

We went in and Sollux looked around. "This place ith actually nice Eridan," he said. It was small, like I said earlier, but it did have two recuperacoon so we could spend the day here. "And it'th big enough for uth. Jutht uth." He walked over to me and with a smile kissed me, wrapping his arms around my neck. When we broke apart he smiled again. I will never know what makes his smile so perfect. Sollux simply makes everything he does perfect, even if it's freaking out because he thinks he's drowning.

"You knoww Sol, wwe should really go sleep soon," I said. I was exhausted from having to teach Sollux how to swim.

"You're right," Sollux said before leaning forward and kissing me again, longer. He pulled away and walking over to his recuperacoon.

"Oh and thankth ED. For everything. Not jutht today."

Sometimes I wonder why I don't kill all the land dwellers. Sometimes I think about ruling Alternia. Sometimes I wonder what on earth makes it worth holding back and not ending life as we know it and do what I've wanted to do my whole life.

When I look at Sollux I understand.


	16. Jade and Dave

**Ship: Dave and Jade**

**Words: 2,895**

**Warning: nope**

**Note: Bluh writers block. Is there anything worse? I don't know their age in this, guess that's up to you. OOC and Side pairings are One sided Katnep, Solfef, and Grimdorks (Rose and John). **

The roller skating rink was the worst place on earth.

I hated it so much. If I could actually skate it might have been slightly better, but I couldn't, so all I did was sit on the sidelines watching Rose and John be all lovey dovey and Feferi and Nepeta sit somewhere else on the benches that lined the walls giggling and gossiping, taking breaks to skate around a bit or dare each other to ask cute boys who were drinking huge cans of Monster over at the snack bar for their phone numbers. Sometimes I'd hang out with Nepeta and Feferi but Nepeta would almost always get on a sugar high, and trust me you don't want to see Nepeta when she's even more hyper than usual. Our group went skating almost every Friday and every Friday I'd make up an excuse for why I couldn't go and every Friday John would make me go anyway. To make matters worse, today was Valentine's Day. People were kissing, hugging, sitting on the sidelines flirting with one another. The whole place smelled like too much cologne and perfume. All the love all around me was a reminder of how alone I was. I usually didn't care about not having a boyfriend but for whatever reason Valentine's Day was different. John always said I shouldn't be so hard on myself about having no boyfriend. I'd only lived here for two years and I'd had one boyfriend which had been a failure. I'd had less then no contact with other people on the island I used to live on so my social skills had been a bit flat when I'd moved here to be near my cousin John. I looked around at some single people at the snack bar, leaning on the dirty granite counter tops, flirting with one another; girls with too much make up on and guys trying to be cool. Maybe John was right. Maybe I was too hard on myself. I had to remember I wasn't the only one alone tonight.

I was bored out of my mind, I mean all I was doing was watching couples skate around and singles hit on one another, so I stood up, putting my feet flat on the ground and awkwardly slipping. I clung to the cold, metal side railing; half skated half dragged myself over to Nepeta and Feferi. By the time I got there I had already fallen once and Nepeta laughed at me.

"Wow, you really can't skate, can you?" she said, laughing. I glared at her as I sat down. It wasn't my fault I'd only picked up a pair of skates a few months ago.

"Rude," I muttered, looking down at my old brown rental skates, briefly wondering who else had ever worn these.

"Ok, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Nepeta said honestly, putting her hands up like I'd just arrested her, then putting them back down. "Anyway what's up Jade?"

"Nothing. Just thought I could come over here so I didn't look like I didn't have any friends," I said. "I'm bored out of my mind!"

"Come on Jade! It's not that bad!" Feferi said. "Look, we'll be leaving soon anyway." I looked at the clock and saw it was nine thirty. We usually left at ten or ten thirty, usually the latter. We'd pile into John's dad's Prius Hybrid, trying to be cool and playing our music super loud. We'd roll the windows down and let the cold night air in. To me, driving here and driving home were the best parts. We'd laugh at the dumbest stuff, telling crappy jokes and sometime Feferi would get the truth or dare app on her phone or we'd prank call people. Rose would halfheartedly try to focus on her crappy vampire book and tell us not to distract John too much because he was driving.

"Still an hour," I said. "Anyway, what are you guys up to?"

"I'm trying to get Nepeta to go talk to that guy over there," Feferi said, pointing to a guy at the snack bar with messy black hair and a black sweat shirt on, looking as though he wanted to be anywhere but here. There was a guy next to him with blonde hair and weird glasses who was drinking a Red Bull. His glasses were really weird, with one blue lens and one red. Though I thought it was weird I'd learned a long time ago not to judge people on stupid stuff like that.

"No way!" Nepeta said. "I'm not going to talk to him. Odds are he has a girlfriend anyway." Nepeta said, blushing. "I don't even know him. Plus you won't talk to that guy."

"What guy?" I asked. I hated coming in the middle of conversations.

"The guy sitting right next to Nepeta's guy. How about this Nepeta," Feferi said. "We each have to get one of their numbers by the end of the night."

"Ok. Sounds like a plan Fefurry," Nepeta said smiling. "Now what about you Jade?" Oh god, why did they drag me into this?

I didn't know what to say but luckily John and Rose came to my rescue. They were holding hands like they always did when they were skating. Someone I'd never seen before was following them. It was a guy with a red short sleeved t-shirt on, blonde hair and big black sunglasses on that completely covered his eyes.

"Hey guys," John said, skating over and leaning up against the railing. Rose let go of his hand and sat down next to me. "What's up?"

"Nothing," I said "who's this?" I ask, pointing to the blonde boy who had sat down next to Rose.

"Strider, Dave Strider." He said, like in the James Bond movie. I smiled a bit at that fact. John had mentioned Dave before. He was Rose's cousin who went to a different school who was John's 'best bro' and John often brought him up in conversations.

"I'm Harley, Jade Harley," I replied, leaning forward a bit to see him better. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too Harley. Hey, you're John's sister, right?"

"Cousin," I corrected. We did look like siblings so I didn't blame him.

'I'm Nepeta and this is Feferi," Nepeta said.

"Nice to meet you two," he said. His expression never seemed to change. I decided that by the end of the night I was going to have to make him smile.

"Now if you excuse me, I have a phone number to get," Feferi said, standing up a bit wobbly. "Nice to meet you Dave," she said before skating off.

"I have to too. Bye guys," Nepeta said before following after Feferi, leaving the four of us alone.

"Wanna skate with us Harley?" Dave asked, standing up. "We're just skating around in a group anyway."

"Uh," I could tell I was blushing a bit. I wish I could say I was getting lost in his eyes; it would have been a better excuse then just flat out saying he was hot, but his eyes were covered by shades. He was just so tall and his hair looked so soft and OH MY GOD JADE YOU JUST MET HIM GET A GRIP. Geez. I decided I was just a bit lonely so I chose the closest guy who wasn't a relative and had a crush on him. Yeah that was it. "Well, uh, you see I can't skate."

"Well then Harley," he said, taking my hand. His skin was soft and his grip was tight, not in a threatening way, but like he was just protective. His skin was cool despite the fact almost everyone was sweating because the hot lights and the amount of people packed in the small rink. "Why don't I just show you how?"

"Uh…but…" why was I stuttering?

"No buts Harley." And with that he skated backwards a bit, pulling me off my chair.

"Ah!" I screamed a tiny bit, regaining my balance. I noticed Rose and John had started skating ahead of us.

"Dork," he said.

"Don't be rude," I said, trying to glare at him and failing.

"You're a dork, John's a dork, Rose is a dork…"

"You're a dork," I said with a smile, thankful he hadn't let go of my hand even though we hadn't started moving yet.

"Me? A dork? Yeah right. I'm too cool. Now come on Harley, let me show you." He started moving. "It's easy. Just like this." He showed me and I found I was already slipping. I planted my feet to the slick floor and just let him pull me. I moved my feet and by mistake let go of his hand and fell down.

"Not like that. Not like that at all actually," he said, holding his hand out and helping me up. I saw a tiny smile play across his lips and knew I was getting somewhere.

"Thanks," I muttered, trying to get up without falling. We kept going and I didn't move my feet at all, afraid to fall.

"Look little kids are doing it," he said as we passed a bunch of young kids, "and you can't?"

"Shut up," I said jokingly. "In my defense, I haven't exactly lived near a skate rink most of my life."

"Really? Where'd you live then?"

"An island in the pacific ocean with my grandpa before he died. Now I live with John. Where do you live?"

"I used to live in an apartment in Houston with my bro before moving here. Now I live in an apartment here."

"Cool," I said. We'd gone around once by now and I still hadn't moved my feet "So 'cool kid'" I said, making quotes with my one open hand, "what kinda stuff are you into?" I wanted to actually get to know Dave.

"Just rapping, making remixes, photography, you know, cool stuff. You?"

"Uh…well I play guitar, and I love gardening. Also rifles and shooting. And I like reading."

"Nice. I don't read much but Rose is always on my case because of it." We'd gone around twice now. "You know Harley if you want to learn, I suggest moving your feet some, but that's just me. Because eventually I might just let go and you'd be stuck in the middle of the rink and that wouldn't be good for you. The rest of us would just die laughing."

"Shut up Dave," I said, moving my feet shakily.

"Harley how many times have you been here?"

"Uh, I don't know, a lot."

"And you haven't picked up anything yet?"

"I've never had a reason to." That was a flat out lie. I thought of cute guys I'd seen skating out in the middle of the rink or the snack bar where I couldn't skate over and talk to them, and all the times I felt left out as everyone else was skating. The truth was I had just been scared. Simple as that.

"Never had a reason to? Who knows, one day you might be being chased by man eating lions with roller skates on. Then what would you do Harley?"

"Take off my skates," I said, moving my feet awkwardly.

"More like this Harley," he said, moving his feet to show me. I tried. "Better. Now do that as we go around again." We kept moving and then he started asking me questions "So Harley, were you lonely on the island?"

"A bit. I only had my dog, my other cousin, Jake, and my grandpa." I moved my feet a bit.

"Make your movements bigger," he said, and I tried and surprisingly didn't fall.

"Anyway," I said as we kept skating, "I lived there with my cousin Jake who's a bit older than me. There were a ton of animals on the island and Jake, Bec –who's my dog by the way- and I would go hunting sometimes, but we got most of our food from ships. There were a couple other islands, not necessarily next door, but nearby, and these boats would come bring us food. The people on the other islands never came and visited. My grandpa had made himself some enemies in his lifetime, some of whom lived on those islands. We were homeschooled, obviously. My grandpa died of old age so we moved to our closest living relative which was John –well John's dad- and that was that. I miss that island sometimes. It had much clearer skies and we'd go look up at the stars."

"I don't miss Houston," Dave said "sure, our apartment's smaller here and Bro and I can't go fight on the roof, but I like this place much better. There are less places for my Bro to attack me or cover me in smuppets." I guess he could tell I was confused. "They're this kind of puppet thing. Anyway he seems to like to ambush me with them and now there are less places to hide them. I do miss strifeing on the roof sometimes though." I realized I had stopped moving my feet again.

"So you make your own music?" I asked, debating if I should try again or wait until he noticed I'd stopped moving my feet.

"Yeah. You said you played the guitar right?"

"Yep. On the island Jake and I made our own music. We didn't have a radio or internet."

"No internet's pretty harsh. Can you sing?"

"Yeah I can. You?"

"I do sometimes. I don't like people knowing mostly because people always say 'you sing? SING RIGHT NOW.' I told John and Rose and now you. So don't tell anyone ok?"

"Ok I won't," I said, deciding to skate. "Anyway, what's up with the glasses?"

"What's up with your glasses?"

"I need then to see," I said, rolling my eyes. "I doubt you can't see without your shades."

"Fine, you got me. My shades are just too cool to take off. Ever." I knew there had to be some other reason yet didn't want to pry.

"Yeah right. Shades don't make you cool."

"Like you know anything about cool. Trust me Harley; I know everything there is to know about being cool."

"Fine, fine. I still think they're dumb and uncool." We were quiet for a bit. "So what kind of music do you listen to?"

"The stuff I make, sometimes dub step, sometimes just whatever's on the radio. I really don't just listen to one thing."

We continued to get to know each other, going back and forth asking each other about ourselves, like an unofficial game of 20 questions. I learned he was good with a katana and had never picked up a rifle before in his life, vise versa for me. His bro wasn't really his brother but his dad. His 'bro' was friends with John's dad and that's how they met. He had a Pesterchum and had talked to John on it when he lived in Texas. We'd been talking for a bit when he looked me in the eyes and said, "good luck." Then he let go of my hand.

"Dave!" I yelled, instantly stopping and tried to keep my balance. "Dave come back here!"

"Meet you over at the bench Harley!" he yelled and I cursed under my breath. Then I closed my eyes.

"Ok Jade," I whispered "You're going to do this. Prove to Dave and yourself you can do it." Then I opened my eyes and tried. To my surprise I moved easily, keeping my balance. I skated forward and smiled. I'd done it. I managed to skate all the way around to the bench.

"Dave!" I said, reaching him, "I did it!" I was smiling. Much to my surprise, he was too.

"Good job Harley." He gave me a high five. "Very good job." Then he took my hand. "Let's skate some more." We skated a bit more but then the DJ said he was playing the couples song.

"I guess we should sit down now," I said.

"Why? Don't want people to think we're a couple?" He help me tighter. "Come on." I knew I was blushing like crazy. I saw Feferi and the guy with the weird glasses take the floor and Nepeta sit on the bench. I turned my attention back to Dave who smiled at me. "Come on beautiful." I hoped it was too dark to see my blush.

We skated around, just like before, but it felt different. The song ended far too quickly for my taste. Afterward we went over to the snack bar and got a ton of candy and told each other bad jokes, laughing our heads of.

"Hey Jade," John announced, walking over. "We're leaving."

"Ok," I said sad to go. "See you later I guess," I said to Dave.

"Wait Jade," he said, "give me your hand real quick."

"Why?"

"Just do it." I held out my hand and he started writing on it. When he was done he smiled again "Bye Jade." Then he leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek and I left feeling like I was flying.

As I got into the back seat of John's car I looked at the back of my hand. It had a phone number written on it and the words 'call me, beautiful'.

Maybe roller skating rinks weren't that bad.


	17. Karkat and Terezi

**Ship: Terezi and Karkat**

**Words: 1, 410**

**Warning: sadstuck, major character death, mention of cancer (I'm not sure if this counts as a trigger warning but I feel like you should know.)**

**Note: So, like I said a couple of chapters ago I've been trying to make these stories different (writing style wise at least). So this one has no dialogue (or little) and is, well, different from the others. Age: they're around 24-26. Otherships: Rosemary. I might make this into an actually fic later. Maybe not.**

**(( (Unrelated note I went back and did some editing stuff on chapter 7 (arasol) and chapter 12 (Fefnep). In the fefnep one this weird sentence I didn't write with really bad grammar and something about vodka and 'aoyfriend' random appeared. If that happens again, tell me.))**

Terezi was beautiful.

She had short auburn hair that ended at her shoulders. Her eyes were crystal blue yet slightly milky because of her lack of eyesight. I always loved her eyes but she hid them behind her reflective red glasses, not wanting the world to see. I don't know why she would find it funny that I could rant about the beauty of her eyes for hours, maybe she was just mentally comparing me to my brother, or maybe she just did it hoping I'd shut up about her eyes because she was so self-conscious about it, lord knows why. She said my voice was her favorite thing about me, other than my personality. I always said my voice just made me sound like I was always angry and she just said the problem was I really _was_ always angry. I guess she was probably right that time. Sometime we'd get into simile wars as she called them and we'd make up similes off the top of our heads to describe something about the other. As the night wore on oftentimes these battles would get out of hand, making up the dumbest most bizarre similes ever.

_"Your eyes are as light and as beautiful as a clear, sunny, summer sky."_

_"Your voice is as raging as a dragon."_

_"Your hair is as rich as chocolate."_

_"Well your hair is as golden as the sun."_

Of course then I'd have to remind her that my hair was black, not blond. She knew my hair color perfectly well, my guess is that she just wanted to be her weird, regular self. The only problem with jokes like that was that the magic was temporarily broken. I didn't mind though, not at all, because the magic would always come back and I got to see her smile. Her teeth were white and pointed but pretty in a way. They were perfectly straight from the beginning, the kind of teeth that never needed braces or headgear or anything like that. I had needed braces back in eighth grade and Terezi said it hurt when she kissed me and I told her that made no sense. I guess I'll never really know.

Terezi was exactly 4.13 inches taller than me. We had done the math several times, the last time was right after we moved in together, when it was obvious we weren't going to grow anymore. After that she kept point out she was a full 4 inches taller than me as we unpacked boxes together. It had been annoying, but hey, it could be worse right? It could always be worse.

Another thing Terezi was, was funny.

Whenever anyone was upset she'd try to make them feel better, no matter what. At first I found her constant joking annoying and thought she was immature, but later I found it helpful to make me laugh when college got too stressful. One time, back when we were younger and 'reckless' we went and got drunk at a party and ended up in the backyard telling bad jokes we told in preschool, drinking more every other joke. We laughed all night long, laughing at things that weren't even remotely funny. We only stopped at around 4 o'clock in the morning when Terezi eventually fell asleep laughing and I carried her back into our car and let her lie down in the back seat. She then woke up randomly when we were almost back to our apartment and told me to drive us to McDonald's. When we got there I ordered her 20 chicken nuggets and two packages of large fries. She ate half the fries and exactly 14 and a half chicken nuggets before falling back asleep. I ate the rest of the food, not because I actually liked the food at McDonald's but because I didn't want to waste food or money. When we got home I'd carried her upstairs. I had also seen Kanaya dragging her girlfriend Rose upstairs. I thought about offering help but then chose not to. I had to carry Terezi up and Kanaya could definitely do it herself.

Terezi always knew what to say if a moment got awkward or we were talking to someone we'd just met. She'd always be the talker while I'd never say a word unless I had to. Terezi constantly tried to pull me into conversations but I'd always decline. Talking to other people almost always led to me either insulting them, yelling at them or both.

On a completely unrelated note, Terezi had synaesthesia, which means two of her senses cross or something weird like that. Basically she could smell colors. She'd always say I smelled like cherries and was by far the best smelling out of everyone she knew. She'd always tell me that my friends smelled like certain colors. She'd never mind when I asked, but if I asked her on days she was upset she'd always say something ridiculous. That was Terezi's thing. Her priority wasn't to be happy herself but to make everyone around her happy. She'd hate it if anyone was upset.

I always wonder what she'd say if she saw me now.

But most of all, Terezi was the smartest person I'd ever met.

One time Vriska and I put our differences aside and set up this really long crime investigation thing that took forever to think of for her birthday. Terezi cracked the case in a bit under an hour. I think even Vriska was a bit impressed. Terezi said it was nothing and that we should go have cake.

There was a time she'd had too much to drink and I decided to take her home before she did something stupid. The next day she couldn't remember anything and when I told her she thanked me a ton. Last time she got drunk at a party, well, bad things happened, which include her almost getting arrested. I won't go into detail but she might have gotten off just because her mom was a cop and she had a spotless record. On the car ride home she'd ranted about the cops overreacting, but that wasn't going to happen again. That time I took her home as soon as I could and she fell asleep on the couch. The next time after I told her what I'd done she was quiet, thanked me then said one of the weirdest and strangely profound things I'd ever heard her say.

"Karkat you are one of those people who have been touched by an angel." It was especially weird because she didn't believe in God. She never had. She said the world was far too filled with injustice and hatred. Why wouldn't God have gotten rid of all that before?

"You're still drunk," I said and she shook her head.

"You don't understand." She reached over and kissed me on the cheek.

I probably said something like I'd just been touched by another angel and she probably said something like 'I'm not an angel. I'm anything but one!'

Some nights we'd give each other trivia questions because we didn't want to flat out study from our too expensive text books. She'd usually ask questions that had nothing to do with whatever I was learning, just random stuff she pulled out of her head. She'd never believe me when I told her she was the smartest person I knew.

Terezi had always been smart but never acted like it or rubbed it in anyone's face. She graduated one year early and went to a community college until I graduated. We moved into an apartment in lower Manhattan so she could go to New York University. I went there as well. She'd been doing so well, acing all her classes, doing extra credit stuff, things like that. She wanted to be a lawyer so badly.

Me, well, I had no idea what I wanted to be.

In fact, I still don't know.

I couldn't help but think about how beautiful she always was, how funny she could always be, how smart she secretly was.

How she was smart enough to know she had breast cancer even before the doctor told her.

How she could still make jokes, for my sake, not for hers.

How she looked beautiful even with no hair.

And how I knew I would never stop loving someone as perfect as Terezi, even if I would never see her again.


	18. John and Karkat

**Ship: John and Karkat**

**Words: 2,524**

**Warning: None**

**Note: If I didn't get requests for this I wouldn't have written it. That is all.**

I was in this inescapable world called 'the friend zone.'

I know, I know, people complain about it all the time, but I'd like to think I was different, even though in the end I was no different than Eridan Ampora, who'd always complain that Fef 'wwould nevver lovve him'. Like I said, I'd like to think my situation was different.

For one thing, it didn't help that he was as straight as a line, while I on the other hand was as straight as a line that happened to form a circle.

Even if he did happen to be gay he'd never go for me. I'd pretty much announced to the world I was straight in 10th grade when Dave jokingly (or so he claims) asked me out at a party and I pretty much screamed 'DAVE I'M NOT A HOMOSEXUAL!' Plus he'd dated both Nepeta and Terezi before, so odds were he only liked girls.

I was really surprised no one picked up on the fact I was gay because I was basically rubbing it in all of their faces. It's not like I constantly wore rainbow colored everything or anything like that, but Jade and Rose both informed me I wasn't exactly hiding my feelings for Karkat very well. I guess I blushed when we talked or I stared at him when our teachers bored me or something like that. I never noticed it before Jade told me. I'd tried to stop since.

I'd only told Dave. Needless to say, even though I'd only told Dave, both Jade and Rose knew. Rose pretty much guessed and Jade may have also guessed, but also Dave told her. I was ok with that, she was my cousin, and I hoped the only reason Dave told her was because he knew I had to tell her one day.

I was over at Dave's house with Rose and Jade one day, just 'hanging out' or whatever. We did that whenever we could. Sometimes we'd talk about when we were younger and it was just the four of us and how over time we met 12 more people. Some days we'd play video games together, taking turns choosing the games (Jade always wanted to play this one called SBURB, but we always said no). Even one time we played D&D, which we learned was a bad idea, especially if Dave was the DM. Today though, we weren't doing much. Then Dave got a text message and smiled.

"Hey guys," he said, his smile growing, "who wants to go to a party?"

Even though Rose said it'd be too loud and there would be too much alcohol to tempt her, and Jade said she'd probably regret it we all agreed to go. I asked if Karkat was going to be there and Dave said probably. Rose asked aloud to no one in particular what she should wear if Kanaya was going to be there. We were in Dave's apartment so she didn't have much to change into but Rose's house was nearby. That left Dave and I alone.

"So Egderp, is Karkat your only crush?" he asked, mindlessly walking around his room.

"What? Yeah and I think it might be more than a crush, you know?" I looked out his window at the rain outside. I hated Washington and its constant rain.

"That was so cheesy John," Dave said as he walked over and sat on his bed, looking out the window.

"How about you?" I asked, turning to him, "Is Jade your only crush?"

"How'd you guess?" he said, not turning to look at me. "I'm I as obvious as you?"

I shrugged "I could just tell. Isn't that was best bro's do? We're meant to know each other inside and out, right?"

"Yeah you're right, John. I like Jade. She's all nice and nerdy and crap, you know?"

"Yeah she's pretty cool. I'm fine with it. I have no problem with you dating my cousin if you were wondering."

"Thanks Egderp," he said with a smile, turning to look at me then looking away.

"So you never answered my question," I said. "Do you have a crush on anyone else?"

He was quiet for a few seconds and the only noise was the rain falling, hitting the window pane softly. "No," he said, so quiet I could barely hear him, "no one at all." Then I realized he was lying. He did have a crush on someone else.

On me.

"Dave you know that no matter what you can tell me anything, no matter what. I won't mind. Honest. You can tell me anything."

"Now why would there be something I have to tell you Egderp?"

"I don't know. You seem like something's bothering you," I said.

"Nah bro nothing's wrong with me. Nothing I can't handle. I plan to ask Jade out tonight but I'm not nervous. I'm fine." Before I could say anything there was a knock on his door and Dave went and got it. Rose and Jade came in with him. Jade had pulled her hair into a pony tail and had one of those universe t-shirts and black skinny jeans while Rose had changed into an orange shirt with a white sun on it and a black skirt. I didn't know why they actually cared what they wore to this party and it made me wonder if I should change.

"Hey guys it's about time to go," Dave said, looking at his phone. "It's at Ampora's place."

"Who's driving?" Jade asked, grabbing her coat and purse.

"I will," Rose said, "but you won't want me when we're driving home." We left the Strider's apartment discussing who'd be driving there and back. It was decided that Rose would drive there while I'd drive home, either me or Jade, whoever seemed less drunk. Eridan's house wasn't that far away and on the ride over there Jade was complaining about how it was Eridan's house and how she just hated Eridan so much. I said Eridan wasn't that bad, I'd talked to him a couple of times. We got there in around 15 minutes and the party was already in full swing. Music was blaring so loud I was surprised I didn't lose my hearing. As soon as we entered Jade broke off to find Feferi and Rose left to go look for Kanaya. Terezi came up to us almost instantly.

"Hey Dave! I didn't think you were gonna come!" she said, smiling. I knew she liked him, she had for a long time.

"We're here TZ. What's up?" Dave said, looking around. There were more people than I expected.

"Nothing much. Come on, follow me real quick." We had nothing better to do so we followed her over to a corner where a group of people were gathered. Jade was there with Feferi but Rose and Kanaya were nowhere to be seen. Terezi sat down on a couch where Sollux and Aradia were sitting. Dave ignored her asking him if he wanted to sit next to her and walked over to Jade. I saw Karkat and was suddenly glad I came. I was debating if I should go over and talk to him before he walked over to me.

"Thank God someone with a little sanity is here," He said in greeting. "Everyone's already drunk and acting like the true idiots they are inside. At least at school they have to decency to act like they're in full control of their bodies or they have half a brain cell."

"Hi Karkat," I said in reply, "I guess you aren't enjoying yourself here."

"Wow, how'd you figure that one out? Guess you won the freaking prize Egbert."

"Wow, you're in a good mood. Maybe I should go hang out with someone who doesn't act like I'm an ignorant human being whose presence is beneath them."

"No!" I guess he said it too fast or too meaningfully or something because he looked mad at himself after that. "Egbert you're the only one here who doesn't make my brain cells slowly commit suicide at the sound of their insufferable voices. Plus who else would you hang out with? Lalonde's with Kanaya, Jade's busy hate flirting with Ampora, lord knows why, and you don't have any other friends, other than Strider and I doubt you want to hang out with someone who fantasizes making out with you."

So even Karkat thought Dave liked me. "I wasn't going to leave anyway."

"So you have no problem with your best friend being gay or the fact he doesn't give two craps about your cousin? Or the fact he's been head over heels in love with you since freaking 7th grade? You have no problem with any of that? None at all?"

"Well, uh, I just assumed he was bi or something. I guess I didn't think I was the only one…"

"Well everyone else at this godforsaken party knows it, so I suggest you either tell him the painful truth or get a girlfriend or a boyfriend or whatever you want in your personal space as soon as you can. Or else he's going to ask you sooner or later and trust me it won't be pretty."

"Ok…I guess I'll try." I looked at him and wondered if he was right. I also wondered what he'd say if I asked him out. Then again, I wonder that all the time.

Before we could begin an actual conversation that didn't revolve around Dave, Terezi came over.

"Hey guys. Do you wanna join us for some seven minutes in heaven?"

"No way Terezi. No way," Karkat said.

"Come on Karkat, it won't be that bad!" I said. I wanted to play for some unknown reason.

"Yeah listen to John. Earlier you said he was the smart one."

"Fine," he mumbled. We walked over and sat down on the couch. Terezi stood in front of us and to my surprise we actually had a good size group of people here.

"Ok," Terezi said. She slurred her words a tiny bit and stumbled over some. "Ok. Rules. First off, no backing out. You have to go in no matter what. Second rule is please just like keep it to making out and nothing more. And last rule, Nepeta picks the pairs going in." Karkat groaned but I took it as a good sign. Nepeta was good at pairing people. "Also I keep time. Ok who first?" Nepeta announced that the first pair going in was Jade and Dave. Jade looked happy about this while Dave looked like he didn't want to.

Terezi started the timer on her phone while I turned to talk to Karkat.

"Karkat, why'd you even bother to come to this party?" I was actually curious because he usually hated parties.

He just shrugged. "Terezi forced me to go socialize with people for whatever reason. Why'd you come?"

"Dave." I guess that was a kinda lie. If he hadn't been coming, I wouldn't come. Parties weren't my thing.

"You know, this party blows. It's so bad I think a funeral would be an enjoyable alternative. It's so horrible that I think being forced to listen to Justin Bieber for five hours straight would be better."

"Karkat, what's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong! Everything is perfect and we're surrounded by rainbows and butterflies!"

"Karkat, really, what's wrong?" Before I could get an answer both Jade and Dave left the bathroom, Jade looking really upset and Dave quickly leaving, ignoring everyone. Then Nepeta called for me and Karkat to go in. I was excited but then Karkat said, "I'm leaving."

"You can't back down now Karkat!" Nepeta said grabbing his arm. He tried to pull away but apparently Nepeta's grip was strong enough so he couldn't leave. "Come on!" After a few minutes she managed to shove Karkat in to bathroom with me.

"I hate this, I hate Nepeta, I hate Terezi and I hate this party. I hate everything." I had no idea what was wrong with him.

"Karkat really just tell me what's wrong!" I was sitting on the rim of the bathtub.

"Nothing, I'm just stuck in the worlds smallest bathroom with John Egbert who is the last person I'd want to be stuck with in such a small place. Just me and the world's dumbest idiot for 7 minutes of hell. It doesn't help Nepeta left the light off and I can't see for crap, meaning you definitely can't see given the fact your already half blind in daylight. Trust me Egbert everything's fine. Go on being the oblivious idiot you are every other day of the year." Ok I don't know why that actually hurt. I looked away, silently.

"Oh crap. John I didn't mean that. Honest. John?" I didn't say anything. I didn't want Karkat to know I was on the point of tears. He was mean to me a lot so why did this make a difference?

Maybe it was because I thought he really meant it.

"John? Ugh, way to go past me! Why do you do such a great job of making a mess of your already dreadful life? Do you even know what you're saying? Or do you just pick some letters and string then together and hope you don't mess things up more then you already did? Nice job, Karkat. You deserve a gold freaking star." He was just talking to himself. "You just ruined all your chances of not being alone for the rest of your life. Why did you ever think anyone as awesome as him would even consider anyone like you?"

"What did you say?" I said, shakily.

"What? Crap you're listening?"

"Karkat no one else is in here. Who else would I be listening to?"

"Crap. Just pretend you didn't hear anything." I looked over at him. His hands were over his face "Please." That was the first time I'd ever heard him say please.

"What if I wanted to hear it?"

"What?" I walked over and put my hands on his shoulders. Then I leaned forward and kissed him. In that moment I didn't care about Dave or Jade or how Terezi still had feelings for Karkat. It was only me and him. It was only us and that was all that mattered.

Someone knocked on the door but I ignored them. I stopped kissing him and looked into his eyes.

"I didn't know," I said.

"Well I didn't either."

I leaned in and kissed him again. Then I heard the door open and Terezi gasping and Nepeta squealing. Karkat pulled away, blushing. We left the bathroom as soon as possible and I hoped someone else told Dave so I didn't have to.

"Want to go over to my house and ditch this party?" Karkat asked as soon as we'd escaped the mob.

"Yeah," I said with a smile that I knew wouldn't fade for a while, "I'd like that."

I hoped Jade wasn't too drunk because there was no way I was driving them home.

I was going to be busy now I was out of the friend zone.


	19. Kanaya and Rose

**Ship: Rose and Kanaya**

**Words: 2,238**

**Warning: (slight) abuse and sadstuck **

**Note: I feel bad because I'm doing requests but I was inspired to do this. Trust me requests will be back on tomorrow! You know the days are counting down :'( Tomorrow there will be either Gamtav or Jadekat 'cause I have ideas for those too :) (Big surprise, both of them have sadstuck!) Ok now on to the story because no good ship story is complete without some Rosemary (Kanaya's mother is based off her mother in the fanfic 'Be a Good Girl Kanaya' if you read that story) EDIT: Ok someone ****_did_**** request this! This one's for RaRaKitty :3**

I was lying on the floor, my phone dropped a few inches away. I was too tired to move, too tired to explain the sudden breakup. I felt bad for Rose. All I had said to her was, "I'm Sorry, It's Not Working Out. Good Bye Rose." That had been it. I felt the guilt of leaving her like that grow stronger every time my phone made the horrible beeping noises to notify me of a new text as she tried time and time again to contact me. One time she attempted to call me, _Same Love_ by Macklemore playing softly, the speaker of my phone pressed against the hard wood floor, muffling the sound to a soft whisper that echoed around the quiet room. Once when I was at Rose's house her half brother Dave changed my ringtone to that song. At first I planned to change it straight back to what it had been before, but the song grew on me. It had a meaning, unlike most rap music Dave blared on Friday nights when Rose and I would climb up on the roof and look out on the city below, the pump of the music vibrating the roof enough so we could feel it. I didn't pick up. I was too drained. Tears fell silently from my eyes. I wanted to run far away but my legs wouldn't move. I felt useless, I was useless. I needed to talk to Rose, to tell her not to look for me because I couldn't go back, to tell her not to go to my house for any reason and last but not least, to tell her I loved her one more time.

There was a knock on my door. When I didn't answer my sister Porrim came in uninvited. She didn't say much, just walked into my new room and picked up my phone, turning it off, then placed it on my bed. Finally she broke the silence, "so Kanaya, are you ok?" Porrim asked.

I sat up off the floor. "Yes, I guess I am," I said, lying. "I'm doing much better than expected. So thank you Porrim." I stood up, my legs wobbly. I looked over in the full length mirror on the wall. I looked like a complete mess.

"Homesick yet?"

I laughed but it was a false, shaky laugh. "Not really. I don't want to go home." I looked out the window of my new room. The whole room was shades of white. In morning light it became quiet blinding, while now it was just dull in the evening light.

"Me neither. Now can you tell me everything that happened?"

It was such a sob story. I had been 'secretly' dating Rose for a while now. By secretly I mean everyone knew besides my mom. Karkat had always been somewhat supportive of us being together, a trait he didn't like to admit to often. After my mother became suspicious of me and Rose, we'd have sleepovers at his house. Before then every weekend we'd have sleepovers, usually at her house. Her mother was very supportive of our relationship as well. Sometimes it seemed like Roxy was a better mother then my own. One time I'd slept over at her house for three whole days, which had been quite enjoyable, but of course all that seemed worlds away now, days I could never return to, at least in my eyes. Last night everything changed. My mother found my phone or saw my Facebook account or something along those lines. All I know is she came into my room and was fuming at me. She screamed at me and I was confused about why. I guess I understood as soon as she mentioned Rose. I still don't know how she found out, but like I said, it wasn't the best kept secret. I had pushed past her because I knew it was time to leave. Really leave. I couldn't stay here anymore because my mother was going to explode. Of course leaving wasn't as simple as I wanted it to be. She wanted answers to questions she was asking too fast for me to hear. Finally she calmed down and looked me in the eyes.

"Kanaya Elizabeth Maryam, tell me the truth. Are you dating Rose?" I nodded slowly."Why?" That question could have been taken so many ways yet I took it as 'why would you ever date a girl? I raised you better!'

"Because, mother," the word mother already felt wrong. She was never a real mother was she? "I can't change."

"You liar!" she said, her teeth bared. "You can't be in love with a girl."

I took a step closer. "Since when, mother, have you been an expert in love? Your own husband left you because you couldn't change." It was true. My mother could never change any of her world outlooks and fought with my father often. I remember one night he whispered to me before he left, "Naya, you can love anyone you want to love."

"Kanaya, I am your mother and you have no right to talk to me like that!"

"You have no right to treat me differently for being in love with Rose!"

"Kanaya you are a Christian! Get over this ridiculous phase instantly! You're going mad."

"Phase? Mother I have had feelings towards Rose since 5th grade. I have dated her and kissed her and we talk about our future and our dreams. Rose has told me all her secrets; she says she trusts me more than anyone she's ever met before, and I have said the same to her. But I agree, maybe it's just a phase." I stared at her unblinkingly, "also if being Christian means you hate people for no reason other than whom they love, then maybe it's time I'm no longer a Christian."

"Kanaya," she said quietly, "shut up."

"No. I won't shut up. I believe in the same love mother. I have always believed it."

"Kanaya Maryam shut up!"

"I will not shut up. I will never shut up, not for you at least. Mother the problem here is you can't handle the truth. You can't handle the reality that you're daughter is a lesbian! But why? You never saw anything wrong with me before right now!"

"Kanaya! I'm warning you!" I knew she was about to snap but I didn't stop.

"Guess what? I actually don't care anymore! I don't care what you think about me, I don't care, I don't care. I love Rose! I'll scream it until you've accepted it. I have a feeling I'll be screaming it until you're dead! Because you can't accept change can you? You can't deal with the fact I'm not perfect! _You're_ not perfect!" I was laughing. "I'm not perfect in your eyes anymore. I was always the good child wasn't I? There was Porrim, then me. Porrim was the problem child, than I was the A+ student, beautiful and smart and clever with a silly crush on Karkat. Guess what, I'm still that girl, but my 'silly' crush is on Rose now! So tell me what's the real difference? Tell me one good reason why I'm worse now! Tell me why I'm not a perfect angel! Tell me wh-" and that's when my mother snapped.

She hit me.

My mother, who always had to call Porrim to kill a spider and taught Sunday school at church and followed the rules in every way she could, had hit me.

There was silence between us, the side of my face hurting. I looked into her eyes again and I could tell she wasn't even slightly sorry. She'd meant it. I didn't know what to do. So I turned around and left. Before I slammed the door I heard her say, "you're going to hell." There were so many things I could have said then, but I didn't. The fact of the matter was it'd hurt. Actually hurt. I went out onto the street corner with nothing but my phone, rain whipping around me, falling in sheets and stinging my eyes. I could barely tell I was crying. I pulled out my phone, called Porrim and hoped my mother didn't come looking for me. She didn't.

Porrim picked me up and asked me what was wrong. When I didn't reply she let it go and let me stay in the guest bedroom at her house. Then I'd lay down on the floor and sat there, falling asleep then texting Rose once before Porrim came back in.

I told all of this to Porrim who stayed quiet the whole time, with small gasps at times. When we were done she hugged me.

"Do you want to talk to Rose?" I didn't know how to tell Porrim what had been going on in the darkest corners of my mind. I felt like everything my mother had said was true, like I was a monster and was dragging Rose down with me. I didn't want to lose Rose, not at all. This was to save her and to punish myself.

"N-no thank you Porrim," I said through deep breaths. I couldn't talk now.

"I'm calling Dad," Porrim said, leaving the room. I closed my eyes and listened to the rain again. A storm raged on, outside, in my mind, and in my heart.

I hadn't left the small confinement that was Porrim's guest bedroom for most of the week. Some days I'd eat, other days Porrim would come into my room with a plate full of microwavable waffles and give me a quick hug before leaving for her college classes. Listened to _Same Love_ a lot, usually when Porrim was gone. I read over all my conversations on Pesterchum with Rose, wishing to talk to her. Something held me back. I held myself back. Rose was better without me anyway.

My mother had come by last night with a box full of my stuff. Porrim answered the door and the result was a large screaming match and a box of my things scattered on the damp ground. Porrim had collected them for me whispering rude words under her breath while putting the boxes into my room. I knew my mother deserved every offensive comment Porrim said, I knew it but somehow she was still my mother and hearing how elaborate Porrim's insult got made me cringe, like I owed my mother something.

On Friday, one week after the incident, Porrim came in my room and gave me a white dress with a rainbow ribbon wrapped around the middle and as the straps.

"Gay pride day's tomorrow," she said before leaving. She also gave me rainbow earrings and a matching necklace. I put it on and thought it looked quite pretty. I took it off instantly though and went to sleep, listening to the rain pounding the roof.

The next day then sun was shiny and there was literally a rainbow. Porrim took a picture and said, 'even God loves gays.' I got in the dress even though I had no plans to go anywhere. Just doing my small part, but of course I should have known something was up by Porrim's constantly looking at the clock and smiling all day. At 11 o'clock there was a knock on the door.

"Would you get that?" Porrim asked. I thought it was odd she was asking me to but I answered the door anyway. I should have known something was up.

Rose Lalonde was standing outside my door.

"Hello Kanaya," she said with a smile. "It's been awhile. Come on, let's go for a drive." She took my arm gently and led me to her car. "You look beautiful."

"You do too," I said, as though nothing was wrong. She did look beautiful, with a simple rainbow top and white shorts along with her usual headband as well. "Where are we going?"

"Just for a drive," she said. "Now Kanaya, what happened? Tell me everything."

"Hasn't Porrim told you?" she shook her head. "Fine."

So I told her everything while she remained silent. For some reason I didn't feel anything while we drove in pointless circles, Rose listening to every word like the therapist she was. I wasn't sad or angry or mad at myself. I was just with Rose again, happy. Yes that was it, happy.

When I finished she didn't say anything, she moved one hand off the steering wheel and put it on mine. "I'll never know what you went thought because my mother herself is gay, but I want you to know I'm your girlfriend and I'm here for you. Always."

"Rose?" I asked, staring out the window at the other cars racing by.

"Yes Kanaya?"

"Can I live with you now?"

"Yes," she said, smiling, "yes you can Kanaya."

"And are we dating again?" I had explained my dumb reasoning behind breaking up with her.

"Of course," she said, laughing a tiny bit. We were silent for a bit, happy though "we're actually going somewhere right now."

"Where?" I couldn't think of anywhere I'd rather be, but I soon realized that there was somewhere.

The rally was outside the capital building. People were joining together to try to get the gay marriage rights law passed. Rose took a sign from the back of her car and took my hand as we walked into the middle of the crowd. I leaned over and kissed her. I believe I saw Dave and John somewhere in the crowd as well. Rose held up our sign high over our heads, one whose words will forever and always be meaningful to me.

_"No I can't change, even if I tried, even if I wanted to. My Love, my love, she keeps me warm."_


	20. Gamzee and Tavros

**Ship: Gamzee and Tavros**

**Words: 1,464**

**Warning: Schizophrenia, suicidal thoughts and sadstuck in general**

**Note: Ahhh my old OTP. I stopped shipping it so hard not long ago. It was fun to write these two again. Sadly I don't like this too much. Requested by happilyTraumatized and BuddingLeaf**

I would hear things, see things, that weren't there.

Half the time I was fine, could stay off my stupid soper pills and act like I wasn't insane. I'd go to sleep and not have nightmares or have flashbacks in place of dreams. I could talk to Karkat and go on a date with Tavros without having a freak attack in the middle. No weird visions, no eerie voices and I could at least pretend I was normal, not taking soper pills to help the schizophrenia because it wasn't there. I was normal.

Then something would happen to break that.

It could be the smallest thing and the truth was I never knew what was going to set it off. There was no pattern at all, It was like life become a freak game of chance and luck that even Vriska couldn't win. Sometimes it made sense, like when Vriska was just to mean to Tavros or when Karkat's rants got too long and hurtful. Other times it made no sense at all like when Tav and I went to the carnival together and we were on top of the Ferris wheel or one time when we were out in the park at night and I looked over and thought he was beautiful.

I never really knew what happened. Sometimes I'd black out and wake up hooked up to life support in an overly lit hospital. Sometimes Karkat would be there, other times Tavros and on rare occasions Kurloz would be there once I woke up, but someone always sure to show up were my foster parents. They would always make sure I was ok before telling me I should have taken my pills, fear shaking in their voices. I knew that as soon as one of them woke up and saw my bottle on the counter unopened that they'd know I hadn't taken them. Sometimes being on the pills was worse than being 'sober' as Karkat and my new parents tended to call it. I was always happy and often not in control of the stupid things I did. Luckily after we adopted Karkat he'd helped me out a lot when I bothered to take my pills.

But sometimes, sometimes, when I lost control I could see what I was doing. I had to watch as I did things I never wanted to do. I couldn't stop myself. I tried so hard, I swear. Sometimes I'd tell Karkat I was sorry and sometimes he'd believe me while other times he'd just shake his head and not talk to me. Usually he'd just yell at me and call me an idiot and tell me he hated me before storming out. He'd come back and say he was sorry but I knew he was lying. He really did see right through that fake story my parents made up about how I was getting better. He knew it was getting worse.

Most of the time when I went 'sober' on them I saw things and heard voices. Once I saw a different version of me kill off Nepeta and Equius and another time I say Vriska stab Tavros and watched him fall. And the voices. They would never stop. Sometimes they'd be my friends, other times they'd be someone I'd never heard of, but the worst was one that called himself The Grand Highblood. He talked about murder and how one day he'd just take over my body. I couldn't fight forever.

My parents tried to act like I was getting better, not saying a word when I 'accidently' threw out all my pills or 'forgot' to take them every day of the week. I didn't tell them I had no friends other then Karkat and Tavros because I didn't want to put any more stress on them. Last year they literally got me out of being arrested after Vriska and I literally almost killed each other. Neither Vriska nor I ever talked about that 'incident' anymore. It was something we just didn't talk about again. We never talked about the times I lost control.

But most of the time I was fine. I was just me, regular me.

But the voices never, ever stopped.

I could hear them even when I was with Tavros. He'd come over for a date and we were cuddling on my couch, home alone, watching TV. I was trying to focus on Peter Pan but I couldn't. I just kept getting distracted.

"Hey, uh Gamzee, are you ok?" Tavros asked.

"What? Yeah bro, I'm fine," I lied. "Just getting distracted you know?"

"Yeah, I guess," he said, not convinced. We kept watching the movie in silence, eating popcorn.

_Gamzee…_

_Gamzee..._

_Gamzee are you even listening?_

"Tavbro?" I asked, looking around, "did you hear that?"

"What? No, I didn't hear anything Gamzee," he said, wrapping his arms around me. "There's no one here but me. Uh, just remember that. Just me…"

_It's just me this time Gamzee. I won't hurt you._

_Gamzee…come on._

_GIVE IN._

No…no…I won't let you win.

_You've been fighting for 17 years._

_It would be so much easier to let me take over._

_Haven't you ever wanted to give in?_

I had. I had wanted to for a long time.

What are you going to do?

_I'm going to take you over and kill them all. I'm going to bash Nepeta's head in and impale Terezi and strangle Equius. I'm going to kill them all and paint my miracles on these walls. I'm going to crush their bones to make my star dust._

_It's the beginning of the dark carnival._

_And Tavros's death is the main attraction_

_honk._

_HONK._

That's when the voice changed from a random voice I'd never heard to a much more familiar one.

It was my own.

I pushed Tavros off of me. "Gamzee wha-" I ran out of his living room and into the kitchen. I was shaking, I couldn't stop.

_You can't run from me anymore._

_I am you._

I ripped open all of Tavros's perfectly organized cabinets until I found the extra bottle of soper I kept at his house.

_Why bother to fight me? Why bother to fight yourself?_

_Gamzee! _Was that really Tavros or a fabric of my imagination? I couldn't tell the difference.

_Gamzee it's me! You're ok! It's just you and me now Gamzee. _That was the problem.

I had to get myself out. I had to get him out. I couldn't see anything.

"Gamzee!" someone wrapped their arms around me. I felt Tavros's arms grip tighter. "Gamzee."

_HONK_

_honk_

_ HONK_

"Gamzee! Please don't do anything. Come on Gamzee, it's me Tavros." Tavros's voice was drifting in and out of my mind and reality.

_Killing yourself won't stop me Gamzee. I'm always going to be here._

_I'm never going to leave._

"I'm sorry Tavbro," I couldn't make it could I? I couldn't fight anymore. Tavros didn't let go of me.

"Gamzee I'm not letting go." I was fading. Usually my attacks were much faster than this. One moment I was in the moment, next I was hooked up to life support at a hospital. This was like I was really fading. Like this was my last time here. "Gamzee I'm not going to leave you and you're not leaving me." He didn't understand.

I took a moment to think about every moment I had had with Tavros. I figured if the voice was taking over then I might as well remember it now, I would have no other chance. I thought about meeting him in 2nd grade, just some boy with leg issues, about when we first started dating in 7th grade and about how happy he was for prosthetic legs in 9th. I thought about dates to the movies and bro sleep over and kissing in the snow on Christmas Eve. About peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and school dances. And I thought about him hugging me now.

The world wasn't so bad with people like Tavros in it.

Not bad at all.

"Gamzee I love you," he whispered, "come on Gamzee don't leave me. I love you." He turned my head toward his and kissed me softly. "Please. I can't live without you."

Silence. Pure silence. There weren't any voices.

I hugged Tavros and for a few moments the voices stopped. I hugged him and he hugged me back and we stood there in the middle of his kitchen, hugging.

Although I'd like to say the voices never came back; they did, but Tavros could always make them go away without trying or knowing he was doing anything.

I knew it wasn't Schizophrenia. It never was. It was something else, but what exactly I'll never know. Soper barely worked.

Sometimes love is just the best medicine.

**A/N: somewhat predictable, kinda bad, cheesy ending :P**


	21. Aradia and Equius

**Ship: Aradia and Equius**

**Words: 2,127**

**Warning: Tiny sadstuck**

**Note: OOC. So much OOC. Equius is my second worst person to write for, behind Kurloz and in front of Aradia. Requested by Guest. I really struggled with this one. **

**I'd like you to know I have enough requests to last till the 28th. On the 28****th**** I'll think of something myself. I want it to be a huge awesome finale but I have no ideas XP this is bad. I'll think of something good (hopefully). If you were wondering, here are the last ships in this whole thing : Gamzee x Nepeta, Equius x Aradia (today), Sollux x Karkat, Karkat x Nepeta, Jade x Karkat, Nepeta x Kurloz (MAYBE) and Equius x Nepeta.**

**(Overly long AN is overly long) this is set in the future so don't say that anything is unrealistic. Around the age of 16-17, Equius being 18 (at the end). Based on my humanstuck headcannon for robot Aradia (even if she acts alive) and the hemospectrum. **

I didn't like to think about death much.

But I did anyway.

A lot.

I had had many near death experiences. I was born premature and almost hadn't made it, one car accident when I was ten, Vriska pushed me out of her apartment window and I fell two stories and landed in a rose bush and the most recent was when my aunt's house caught on fire. Each time I remember thinking I was going to die, excluding my dangerous birth. In the game of life I had been dealt the worst hand, but it was all ok, or so I'd like to think. I was definitely getting better, at least in my eyes. I guess I thought I was getting better since I met Equius.

After the fire I woke up in a well-lit hospital room. Hospitals were familiar places to me, very familiar in fact from all my accidents and my mother's constant checkups, but this time was different. I couldn't remember anything and I couldn't feel my arms. I tried to move but then a boy who I hadn't seen earlier said, "don't move." After waking up in a hospital and not being able to remember anything or feel your arms, 'don't move' was not a good thing to hear. I instantly tried to sit up but I couldn't.

"I said don't move." He was taller then I was, maybe he was older than me, with black hair and sunglasses on. "I'll be right back. Don't move." So I stared at the ceiling until a doctor came in. The boy followed silently but didn't come over to me. He sat down in a plastic visitors chair and watched.

"Alright Aradia," the doctor said with a fake smile, "how do you feel?" I felt like I was at a therapist, not a doctor. I'd been to a therapist once after my parents got divorced.

"Like crap," I said weakly. I didn't realize how hard it was to talk until now. He nodded.

"Do you remember what happened?" I shook my head slowly and it hurt. "Well there was fire. Do you remember anything now?" I did actually, but all I remembered was smoke.

"Smoke," I whispered. He nodded again. I felt like all the air had been pushed out of my body. I wished he'd stop nodding all the time, it was annoying.

"Well you see Aradia, your aunt's house caught on fire because of a faulty laptop battery. Your mother is fine, if you were worried. You weren't as lucky. You see, you had extremely bad burns, mostly on your arm." He was dodging around something, what it was I didn't know.

"What?" I croaked out.

"Well you see your arm was badly injured. Also you've been unconscious for exactly one week now." He sighed. "I'll just show you your arm." He gently took the paper thin blanket off of me. I looked fine, wearing an ugly green hospital gown with some slight burn marks on my legs. My arms were strapped down, in fact so were my legs and my head was pretty much stuck. He unhooked me slowly and I moved my hands in front of my face and at first I really couldn't figure out what was wrong. One hand looked like normal, a few burn marks scorching my fingers while the other was in perfect condition, I mean perfect model hands. My usually calloused hand was perfectly smooth and soft. When I touched it it felt cold though, and lifeless.

"She doesn't understand. You don't understand," the boy said.

"What's wrong with them?" I asked. He walked over and touched my left shoulder. It hurt and I wondered if he had just been too hard when he grabbed me or if I was just that fragile now. He lifted up the left sleeve, ripping the papery fabric a bit and showing me my shoulder. Black straps where holding my arm onto my shoulder and then I sort of understood.

"Oh," I whispered.

"We had to have your arm amputated. Luckily Equius here was able to help us out with this robot arm," my doctor said with a smile.

"You made this?" I said, looking at the exact replica of my arm. It seemed impossible. He just nodded.

"Now Aradia I will go get your mother now. Try not to move much, ok?" the doctor left leaving just me and the boy. I sat up a bit.

"I can't believe you made this." I said admiring my new arm, trying to focus on that fact I had a new robot arm instead of the fact I'd just lost my old one.

He shrugged. "I am unsure if I should take that as an insult or not but because you barely know me nor know what I have made before, I will simply let it go." This guy was weird. Definitely.

"What does it run on?" I asked, curious. I need to take my mind off life so I didn't freak out. Just focus on my arm.

"It runs on blood." I almost dared asked whose blood but decided I didn't want to know. Odds were it was some blood donor somewhere.

"What school do you go to Equius?"

"Derse High School, same as you." That's how I knew him. He had seemed familiar "I am a grade above you I believe. You are a sophomore if I am not mistaken."

"Yeah I am. So you're a junior?" he nodded. This was so awkward. "Why?"

"What do you mean 'why'? I cannot answer a question without any answer."

"Why me? Why did you help me?"

He looked away from me. "There are many answers really. The main one being that if someone asks you to make a robotic arm for someone who survived a fire and had their arm amputated, you can't really say no."

"Thanks. Really, thank you so much. I'm just so, well grateful I guess."

"Don't be," he said, walking towards the door.

"Don't be grateful?" I asked, "why?"

"Because I don't want you to feel like you owe me something. I don't want you to pay me back nor do I need help from anyone, especially you." With that he left, leaving me confused and offended for no real reason.

And that was my first formal meeting with Equius Zahhak.

After I started going back to school we would talk often. He'd ask me about my arm and I'd say it was doing fine. We'd talk for as long as we could before I'd be pulled away by Sollux or he'd be pulled away by Nepeta.

One day in October of my junior year my arm stopped working. It just stopped moving or anything at all. I took it off and looked at myself in the mirror. I very rarely took of my arm and it looked wrong and I felt light with it off. I walked in the evening dusk to Equius's house and knocked on the door. He answered and I held up my arm and simply said, "it's not working."

I when into his house and walked up into his room. His room was larger than mine and robots and robot parts were everywhere along with various broken objects. Nothing really in particular, just random things were left in pieces on the ground. Most of the other robots weren't like mine, more just parts then ones with fake skin over them or anything. He took my arm and put it on a desk and sighed, then started to work on it. I looked around his room, unsure what to do.

"Fiddlesticks," he mumbled. I laughed a bit.

"Did you really just say fiddlesticks?" I asked, walking back over to him.

"Yes. I don't understand what's funny though." I rolled my eyes.

"What's wrong with it?" I asked, dropping the fiddlesticks conversation.

"I'm unsure of exactly what is wrong. Do you think you could come over after school so I could look at it again?" I nodded.

"Hey Equius, I don't want to bother you too much, but I think that it's getting a bit too small for me."

"It should be easy to make some adjustments on it. I will do that tomorrow. Until then, good night Aradia." I picked up my arm then realized something.

"What about tomorrow during the day?"

"Do you write with your left or right hand?"

"Both." It was weird, before the fire only my right hand was any good at writing while now it was both.

"Then tomorrow you should be fine enough. After all Tavros does do it every day without his legs right? Why not you and your arm?" I didn't want to tell him I was a bit self conscious about it so I acted like it was no big deal.

"Ok. Bye Equius." I left, holding my arm. Then next day I went to school without it. I ignored the weird glances and got Sollux to help me carry my stuff. I felt like this is what Tavros must feel like when he goes places. I hated it. After school I grabbed my arm and walked straight to Equius's house.

I went upstairs with him and he started working on in without saying anything. I started working on my math homework with was hard and boring. I was there for an hour before Equius asked me to put it on again. It was fine, a bit glitchy though so he started working again. I didn't watch.

"Have you remembered what happened yet? During the fire?" he asked after another half an hour of silence.

"What?"

"At the doctor's office last year you didn't remember much. Do you now?" It was an odd question.

"I do a bit. It was really smoky, that's for sure and there was fire everywhere. A field caught on fire and I was lying in the field because I couldn't run any farther. I just stopped and inched toward the road and fell down. The found me soon though so it was ok." I said, stopping my homework.

"They called me as soon as they could. I'd helped another patient before but she's moved away now," he said, continuing his work on my arm.

"What was her name?"

"Vriska Serket." I remembered when Vriska lost the bottom half of her left arm.

"I knew her. She pushed me out of a second story window."

"Sounds like her." We were quiet again. "You're doing your math wrong."

"What? No I'm not!" I said. He continued to explain how I was wrong. I didn't want to admit he was right but he was. How had I missed that?

"Are they all wrong?" I asked with a sigh.

"Yes," he said turning away and working on my arm. "Put this on." I did and it fit wonderfully. I moved it around and it moved flawlessly, like it always had before.

"Thanks Equius." I said with a smile.

"It was no problem." He said, looking away.

"Equius, why do you always help me?" I asked again like I had at the hospital a long time ago.

"I told you, what else would I do?"

"But is there anything else?"

"My friend Nepeta said she shipped us," I knew Nepeta quiet well actually "Horrus knows Damara. Also I'd always been told you weren't as good as I was. I wanted to see if they were right."

"What do you mean you'd been told I wasn't as good as you?' I asked, angry.

"Don't take it personally. It was never aimed at just you. I believe it simply meant that people who, well, like your parents got married too young. People who live in houses like yours and people whose parents can't divorce because you don't have enough money. It's not just people who make the wrong decisions, but people who are in the opposite social class as I am."

"Well then, am I at all like you should believe?"

"No." He was quiet, "It's late out. You should go home."

"Ok." I stopped before leaving. "Thanks again Equius."

"It's not a problem Aradia."

"Equius?" he looked up, "would you like to go on a date sometime?" he started blushing for the first time ever. And sweating a lot.

"Well, um, yes Aradia. If you'd like to." He was stammering. It was kind of cute.

"Ok," I smiled and walked over and hugged him. He hugged me but not as tightly because he didn't want to hurt me. "Bye Equius. Friday at 6?"

"Uh, yes. Bye Aradia," I left smiling. I decided not to think about death for the time being. Just think about Love.


	22. Karkat and Nepeta

**Ship: Nepeta and Karkat**

**Words: 3,285**

**Warnings: Sadstuck and major character death (several characters die)**

**Notes: I really didn't want to do this but I had to. I have no time at all today to write (my friend's birthday and also I had to go and buy her gift this morning after sleeping in too late). So there was literally no time to write. So I stole this from myself. I know, I know at least one of you guys (Brit98) have read/seen this before in my other fanfiction (****The Broken****). I feel bad for doing this but I had to be done :(. So here's so NepKat sadstuck.**

**It sort of has fast escalation BTW ad if you have ay questions PM me :)**

I've never once thought about death as a thing that could happen to me or anyone around me.

I figured it was bound to happen one day, it had to, duh. But I never thought it would happen one a random day. I imagined being old or doing something potentially life threatening. And I always thought you'd know it was coming. Like you'd have a clue. I never ever thought my life would be put in danger in school one random day.

Just a random day. May 27th to be exact.

It was almost the end of the school year. The teachers were still trying to force the last ounce of knowledge into our brains before we took these huge tests we have to take at the end of every school year. Luckily for me I'd already taken my first two tests and only had one more left. So I just stared at the clock, ignoring my science teacher's ranting. Only five more minutes. Five more minutes until this period was done and I only had free period left, thank God. I also got to see Nepeta then and I had some important stuff to tell her. Gamzee, Nepeta, Aradia, Equius, Sollux, and Tavros were all in free period with me. And because I didn't have any homework we'd probably spend the time talking.

Just three more minutes. Three more minutes until partial freedom.

But how would I tell her if Equius was there? Maybe I'd find a way to get her alone, but how? This was important and I wanted to do it in private. I could do it with Gamzee or Equius around. It had just to be the two of us.

_BEEP!_

Class was done.

I darted out of the classroom as fast as possible. I didn't want to waste any time. Gamzee was waiting at the door. His class always got out a few minutes early and he'd always wait for me.

"Hey bro," he said smiling as I tried getting my locker open.

"Hey," I said shortly "Where's Tavros?" Tavros' class also got out early at this period so Gamzee would say hi to him first.

"Haven't seen him yet," Gamzee said with a shrug, "Had to say hi to my best bro first."

"Isn't he your best bro now?" Finally I got my stupid locker to open.

"Nah. We're…we're…" He said, looking to find the right words, "we're more than that." He finished.

"Yeah," I said turning to him "And if anyone gives you crap about that tell me."

"No offense Karbro but I'd be better at beating someone else than you," He said, laughing slightly.

"Yeah whatever. Tell me anyway."

Suddenly I hear a voice from behind me "AC sneaks up on her crabby friend, CG, and greets him with a huge TACKLE POUNCE!" then someone jumped on me from behind.

"Ugh Nepeta!" I said, smiling, just a little bit. I couldn't act too happy to she her.

"Hey Karkitty! Hey Gamzee!" she said. Equius walked up behind her.

"Hey Equius. Nepeta, get off of me," I said.

"Oh you know you like it Karkitty!" she said, sliding off my back. "We have free period now, right?"

"Yep," Gamzee said.

"You guys know where Sollux is?" I asked and as if on cue Sollux came up with Aradia behind him.

"Hey guyth," He said. God his lisp was so annoying. I wish he'd at least try to do something about it.

"Hello." Aradia said. Something about her gave off a spooky vibe we'd gotten used to long ago.

"Hey Aradia, hey Sollux," I said.

"I'm gonna go say hi to Tavbro," Gamzee said "see you guys there." Before he walked away he remembered something. "Oh crap I didn't put my stuff away." His locker was right above mine and I moved over while he put his stuff way. I was glad he was the locker above mine. It usually was someone who well, tended not to like me very much. Cough VRISKA cough.

"I'll go get FF," Sollux said.

"I'll come with you," Aradia said.

"My guess is that she's hanging out with Eridan." I said shrugging. "Come on, let's just get to class. You'll see her there." Aradia nodded and leaned up against the lockers waiting for me to finish so we could leave.

That's when two shrill bells sounded, so loud it could make your ears bleed.

I quickly scanned my mind. Our school had a complex system of alarm bells. Different amounts of bells meant different things. What did two short ones mean? Then I remembered. Two was for an intruder. Then another bell rang.

That meant it was not a drill.

My hand was around Gamzee's arm in a second. I pulled him in to the closest enclosed space which happened to be the girl's bathroom. Equius had pushed Nepeta in as well and Sollux, Equius, and Aradia had come in as well. I got the key and locked the door from the inside. They had been a lot of school break ins around the area so the school bought locks you could lock from the inside just in case. Thank God they did.

I looked behind me. Nepeta was pressed up against the back wall next to Equius. Sollux and Aradia did the same. This is what we were supposed to do. Get up against the back wall after locking the door. They'd only told us half a million times. Nepeta sat down on the ground and the rest of us joined her.

Nepeta was breathing heavily "Karkitty…"

"Shh. Don't worry. It'll be fine. Just don't say anything and we'll be fine." I said. I was freaking out mentally but this was a time I had to be a leader.

I wish I knew who was breaking in. No one had seen their face or anything like that. It was a pretty big deal. I told myself we'd be fine. I put my hand on Nepeta's hand and squeezed it. I was breathing heavily. There was absolutely no sound at all. "It's going to be alright," I whispered again. I closed my eyes. Maybe if I did that this would all go away. It'd all be some dream. But it didn't go away. My heart was racing. I looked at Nepeta. Her eyes were squeezed tight and Equius's hand was on hers. My eyes moved to Aradia and Sollux. Neither of them were moving, Aradia silently stared at the door to the bathroom, Sollux's eyes were covered by his glasses. Everything was so silent and so still. We were going to be fine. We're going to be alright. Nothing was changing and no one was moving at all. Maybe this was just a dark twisted dream.

That's when we heard the scream.

It was loud, like it was close. It was a girl's voice and somehow it sound familiar. Too familiar.

"Feferi!" Aradia cried and then I realize things had just gone from bad to even more worse than I could possibly imagine. In a second Aradia had unlocked the bathroom and run. Sollux followed her screaming "AA! Don't!"

We stood there in shock. Then Nepeta let go of my hand and darted after them, Equius behind her. I looked at Gamzee "Don't Gamzee," I whispered but he too left. I ran after them with one thought in mind. 'We're all going to die.'

Feferi was in the guy's bathroom not far away. Aradia had almost literally broken through the door. When we entered we saw Feferi pinned ageist the wall, trying her best to fight the person pinning her there but with no success.

The person pinning her against the wall was a man wearing a black hoodie. The hood had fallen off revealing his hair which stuck out in all directions just like how you'd picture a crazy person. He had a holster with a gun in it and a knife in one hand. Feferi was fighting as hard as she could, but it was useless. She probably only weighed 90 pounds.

"You're such a pretty girl," the man said, "If only you'd smile more." He smiled and cut the sides of her month and blood ran down her face, staining the front of her shirt.

That's when Aradia came in. She ran at him and I knew she didn't know what she was doing. She had one thought on her mind. Save Feferi.

He hadn't seen or heard her; either that or she was too fast for him to comprehend right away. Anyway, she caught him off guard and he staggered backwards, letting Feferi fall to the ground. I had no idea what he had done to Feferi before we arrived but she was covered in blood and she slumped to the ground as if suddenly all her limbs had been rendered useless. Aradia clung to his arm and tried her best to push him up against the wall but he got his bearings quickly and Aradia, like Feferi, wasn't very strong. He threw her up against the bathroom wall and she clenched her teeth in pain. Feferi was trying to stand up, but couldn't.

"Aradia," she whispered, "Oh God." Her voice was weak and raspy. Aradia ignored her and readied herself to run at him again. He smiled and pulled out his gun.

Before Aradia could run at him again he shot her. I didn't know if he had meant to shoot her there or if he had terrible aim, but he hit her in the shoulder. When that happened only one thought went through my mind. I knew that shot wouldn't kill her.

Then there was a cry, not of pain but of fury. Nepeta darted past me and jumped him, which surprisingly knocked him down. She didn't have any sort of weapon at all. She sunk her finger nails into his face. While this wouldn't do much for most, Nepeta's finger nails were long and sharp, which I had learned the hard way. The man simply laughed at her feeble attempts at stopping him and he grabbed her arm. She tried to get away, but it was useless. His other hand was holding his knife. I tried to force myself to move but my feet were glued to the floor. I was unmovable.

Then Equius came in. The second he saw Nepeta I knew something was going to happen, fast. Where was Sollux, where was Gamzee? Everything was happening so fast. Why, oh why, couldn't I go help my friends when they needed me most?

Equius pinned him up against the wall in seconds. He had dropped his gun and Aradia picked it up off the ground. What was she going to do with it anyway? I knew Aradia wasn't a murderer, even if the guy was a psycho, I doubted she could kill him. Then again, I didn't know her that well. Maybe she was willing to do it if it meant saving her friend's life.

The man smiled at Aradia and kicked Equius off him easily. Apparently he was much stronger then he seemed. He turned and Aradia was pointing the gun at his heart. Her eyes were big and she was breathing heavily. It was silent. Pure silence. I turned to Aradia and had one thought.

Pull the trigger.

Why? Why couldn't she just do it? Sure she would be a killer, but she would be alive. They would be alive and with me. I wouldn't be so alone. Was it worth it? Was it worth it to die and watch your friends die because you couldn't pull a trigger?

Or was it worth it to die innocent rather than to live a monster?

He smiled at her and then gripped his knife. I hadn't even realized he still had it in his hand. He took a step forward and stabbed her just beneath her rib cage.

For a moment she stood there motionless. Then both her hands went to the knife and she dropped the gun. Her legs gave out and she fell to the floor. She didn't scream. All she made was a deep sigh and she sunk to the ground. The knife was deep in her and she closed her eyes and fell on her back. Blood started pooling around her. The he grabbed his gun and shot Equius right though the heart.

It all happened so fast. It took place in a few seconds. SECONDS!

My life changed forever in matter of seconds.

Nepeta suddenly stood up. She hadn't been moving much and even now you could tell it hurt her. "Equius," she yelled. Her voice was filled with pain and sorrow. Then her eyes met his and she growled "You're going to pay!"

He smiled. He had a knife in one hand and a gun in the other. I knew he could kill her in a second. She knew that too, she just didn't care.

"NEPETA!" I cried and for a second I was able to move. Just not fast enough.

She ran at him and he just laughed. I heard a gun fire and I looked up. Nepeta had been shot in the shoulder. She clenched her teeth. I saw tears fall from her eyes yet she stayed standing, staring him in the eyes. She was not going down without a fight.

That's when Gamzee, Sollux, and Tavros came in. Sollux saw Aradia and Feferi and he instantly ran to their sides, ignoring the already dead body of Equius. Gamzee saw what had happened and he pushed Tavros behind him and whispered, "run."

Why was this happening so fast? I could barely comprehend everything that was happening. It seemed I had just run into the boy's bathroom and now three of my friends bodies were on the floor and I couldn't tell if they were breathing any more. Nepeta was bleeding from her shoulder, barely standing.

The killer seemed as though he didn't notice the new arrivals. All of his attention was on Nepeta. He shot her in the other shoulder. It didn't seem as though he was trying to simply kill her. It was more like he was toying with her. She let out a mangled cry.

Gamzee pushed Tavros back again and ran at him. That's when I realized I was right; he hadn't noticed the new arrivals. He hadn't seen Gamzee arrive. I saw Sollux next to Aradia. He was kneeling in a pool of blood. I could tell he had no idea what to do. "AA," he whispered, "AA you've got to be ok." I thought I heard her whisper, "Don't worry Sollux. I'm still alive."

One thought went through my mind, 'Where are the police? Shouldn't they be here? As soon the bell went off the police were notified. So where were they?'

As strong as Gamzee was, the man was much stronger. He staggered back but that was mostly because he was caught off guard and he got his bearings back quickly. In a moment he shot Nepeta twice in the stomach and this time she finally fell. The man ignored her now, his attention fully on Gamzee. He obviously thought she was going to die. He had another knife clenched in his hand.

"Gamzee!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. I tried to run and save him, but I was too late. The man had Gamzee pinned up ageist the wall, knife in hand. He cut him from his forehead to his collarbone. Then again from there down to his heart. The knife went in deep. He dropped him and Gamzee fell to the ground. Aradia, Feferi, Nepeta, Equius, and now Gamzee were on the ground, bleeding to death. Someone was running to his side. Tavros.

"Gamzee!" he yelled, "No!" He was by his side, "No. Gamzee don't leave me." Then there was a gun shot. Tavros had been shot in the spine.

Then his attention turned to me. He held up the gun and aimed it at my heart. Then he pulled the trigger and my life flashed before my eyes then…

Nothing.

He was out of bullets.

I also realized he was out of knives. One was in Aradia and one was in Gamzee. I looked at him and whatever instincts my friends had experienced caught up to me then. I was filled with rage. Not sadness. No, the only thing I thought about now was killing him. I didn't know how but I would. I was going to kill him.

That's when the police came. Too late. It was too late now. There was nothing they could do. There were shots and yelling and someone called an ambulance and suddenly I was by Nepeta's side, staring into her olive-green eyes.

"Nepeta?" I said, "Oh, please, please, please be alive!"

"Karkitty?" she looked lost, like she had woken from a dream, "Karkitty are you there?"

"Yes! Yes Nepeta I'm here!"

"Hey, Karkitty," she said, "What happened?"

"I, I don't know," I said. Suddenly it was all catching up to me and tears started forming in my eyes.

"There, there was a guy. He had a knife, and, and a gun," she said then moaned in pain, "Oh Karkitty it hurts all over."

"No it's all right Nepeta. Just stay with me," I said desperately.

"Oh no, it's not Karkitty," she smiled a tiny bit, "and you know that. But that's ok."

"No, no, no it's going to be fine. It's going to be alright."

"What about Equius? He got shot too didn't he?" she said, ignoring my failed attempts at reassurance. When I didn't reply she seemed to mentally put the pieces together, "He did, didn't he? Oh no…"

"It's going to be fine. You're going to be fine, Equius is going to be fine." I knew that was a lie. He had been shot straight thought the heart. He was dead already.

"No Karkitty, It's not," I felt the tears stream down my face. "Karkitty?"

"Yes, Nepeta?" The tears were coming faster and I tried to force them to stop so Nepeta couldn't tell I was freaking out. She knew anyway. Tears fell from her eyes too, slowly and soundlessly.

"I want you to know, even if I'm going to die now, that you and everyone else have given the best life I could ask for. Now I'm passing on."

"No. No you'll be fine! Trust me!"

"I trust you Karkitty. That doesn't mean I'm gonna live."

"No. NO!"

"Uh," she made a cry of pain, "But Karkitty before you go I have to tell you something."

"No, Nepeta. You'll be fine. You can tell me later, when we're passed all this."

"Fine. Let me tell you now just in case. If that's the case here I just want you to know as soon as possible, in case I don't make it though."

I sighed, trying to stabilize my voice yet it was still shaky, "Yes Nepeta?"

"You know how you would ask me who I shipped you with." I could hear the ambulance pull up in the background.

She sighed and before I could protest she continued "You and me, well, we were my OTP." She sighed again "One true pairing." She was losing herself.

"NO! Nepeta stay with me!" I said

"Oh Karkitty," she smiled, "Equius is standing up now."

"What?" I said.

"He's never going to stand again .I think I'll go join Equius now. We can go role play and have fun." She smiled contently. "Maybe I'll get to see my mom. I've missed her so much. She died when I was seven."

I was full out crying now, not even trying to stop it, "No Nepeta! It's fine. It's ok. Stay with me."

"Oh Karkitty it's all beginning to fade away. I can still hear your voice. And see you eyes. I love your eyes. They're beautiful."

"No, Nepeta don't leave me! Please don't leave me!" I cried.

"Karkat, please, please let me die."

"What?"

"You're the only reason I'm not dead yet. I'm holding on for you Karkitty but I can't much longer. Please let me go. Let me go home. It hurts everywhere. It won't hurt there. I'll finally be safe and sound."

I looked at the hurt in her eyes. Her eyes that used to shine so bright. Eyes I had thought would shine bright forever. "OK Nepeta. You can go home now," I whispered.

"Karkitty," her eyes are strained, like she's barely with me "I need you to promise me something."

"Y-yes Nepeta."

"Please, please, please, always remember why you're here; always know you're here for a reason. I think that only in the instants before you die do you realize why life is worth living. Just-just always remember that."

"O-ok Nepeta."

"Thank you Karkitty," she shut her eyes, smiled and sighed. "One last thing Karkat."

"Yes Nepeta?"

"I love you."

"I love you too."


	23. Jade and Karkat

**Ship: Jade and Karkat**

**Words: 2,221**

**Warning: None**

**Note: There are three things I base these off of. Death, Headcannons and what I dream I want my relationship to be like. This one's based of the last one. I scrapped my original idea for Jadekat and changed the pairing. Now enough ranting, ON WITH THE STORY.**

**Fun Fact: I don't even watch Doctor Who (but I plan to) yet have a lot of head cannons about certain characters being Doctor Who fans. (unrelated but if any of you have plans on going to Emerald City Comicon you should tell me 'cause I'm going :D)**

"Rose? Rose are you seeing this?" I asked, suddenly stopping in the middle of the crowded comic con. Dave was leaning up against the wall with Rose looking over the map while John was looking around in wonder like always. The crowd moved around us and we were hidden in a corner hoping not to be stepped on. We had literally walked in five seconds ago and for some reason my eyes had locked on a boy across the hall. He didn't seem to be cosplaying but was standing by a girl with red glasses who was wearing a dress that said 'POLICE BOX' on it and a guy with red and blue glasses who I was pretty sure was Doctor Number 10, so maybe he was something from Doctor Who.

"What is it Jade?" Rose asked looking up from the pamphlet given to us when we got our passes. Like every year John and I had spent hours trying to get Dave and Rose to cosplay with us. Rose never minded comic con but Dave said it was dorky and uncool. Dave always got to chose what we cosplayed as, which this year was simply zombie apocalypse survivors, complete with gas masks (which we usually kept off), blood stains, axes and rifles. John complained about how we had to cosplay as something that wasn't from a comic and Dave complained how his nerdy friends were dragging him to Emerald City again. It was like that every year. Another thing that happened every year was saying we'd go to San Diego and either planning too late, not having enough money or something like that. This morning on the car ride over here John insisted Dave take off his glasses, like every year. We always had to fight on our way up here; the car ride was too long not to. This weekend in Seattle was filled with weird traditions.

"Rose, tell me honestly, do you think he's hot?" I always asked if Rose thought the guy of my interest was cute because I honestly couldn't tell.

Rose walked over to me. "You do know I am gay, right Jade? Anyway, which boy has earned your love today?" I pointed through the crowd at him. I don't know why I was randomly attracted to him. I just wanted to go talk to him. "Well do you think he's attractive?"

"I guess." I said. He was pretty cute honestly. He had black hair and, from what I could tell, was shorter than me.

"Jade, why do you always ask me if guys are attractive or not? It's very weird given the fact I am a lesbian and you know I don't think of guys like that. I would think you would like to ask John of all the people here that question because he is by far the gayest of-"

"Rose I'm not a homosexual!" John called out. He could always hear you if you suggested he wasn't as straight as a line. Which pretty much proved to me he was gay, but that's just what I think.

"Anyway Jade," Rose said, ignoring John, "I believe you should go talk to him if you want to get to know him." I sighed.

"Ok sure. Why not? Guy could be a jerk who just happens to be hot right?" Rose nodded "Ok, stay here." I dodged around people entering and walked across the hall over to the group. I'd always tried to make friends at comic con, including Feferi, one of my best friends who lived in Seattle. I walked over to them and tried to act like I was just going over to compliment them, not because any other reason.

"Hi," I said with a smile. He was shorter then my by a couple of inches and had green eyes just like mine.

"Hey. Wait, is this Jade?" the girl asked. Then I realized it was Terezi Pyrope. I-well more like Dave- had met her last year. Since then it's been pretty clear Dave's in love.

"Terezi?" I asked. "Wow, it's been a while. I was just coming over to compliment your costumes."

"Thanks. So anyway is the cool kid here? I doubt he'd come willingly to such a nerd fest."

"Yeah, he's over there. Come on." Terezi followed me

"Wait! Ugh, Terezi who even is this?" the boy who had caught my attention asked. He walked over to her followed by the other guy.

"Oh yeah. Ok Karkles this is Jade, Jade this is Karkat, the angriest guy you'll ever meet. Also this is Sollux. Now come on," she walked over to Dave and the others, followed by Sollux.

"Ugh, Terezi…" Karkat mumbled.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing. She's been talking about Dave freaking Strider nonstop all week. I knew this weekend was the worst idea I ever even considered agreeing to. Odds are she's going to ditch me here and leave with Sollux." He said, staring at the ground.

"Do you, well, have a crush on her?" I asked, hoping the answer was a no.

"No way. Terezi was my crush back in 7th grade or something like that. I've gotten over her. I just don't want to be left alone with Sollux of all people."

"You could hang out with me?" I suggested.

"Like that's any better." Ok, so this guy was just a jerk. A hot jerk. That was all. I rolled my eyes and walked back over to my friends, him right behind me. Terezi and Dave were talking, blocking out the rest of the world.

"Hey guys," I said when I reached them.

"Hey Jade," Dave said. "Thanks for finding TZ for me."

I rolled my eyes. "She was literally right across the hall. I didn't take much to find her."

"Whatever. Hey guys, I'm gonna be right back. Don't wait up. I'll find you later. I just need to talk to TZ real quick." Terezi smiled showing her white pointed teeth. Karkat was right about them ditching us.

"Ok. See you later Strider," I said and turned and didn't look back.

"Never split the party," John muttered as we walked away.

"I believe you are simply jealous, John," Rose said, grinning.

"Rooooosseeee!" He said, throwing his head back in defeat. "Why do you always say junk like that?" Rose and I smiled. Then I realize Karkat and Sollux had followed us.

"You guyth don't mind if we thtay with you? If TZ'th gonna thtay with Thtrider we kinda don't have a way to contact her. She lotht her phone the other day," he said, lisping heavily.

"Ok, you guys can stay with us," I said. "So what do you guys wanna do?" we walked around a bit, talking some while I admired awesome costumes.

"Like, who has that much time on their hands to make all that stuff so well?" I said.

"They're losers with no life," Karkat replied.

"Karkat, Karkat, Karkat," I said, shaking my head "You don't understand. We're _all _loser's with no lives here, whether we have epic cosplays or not."

"You're implying I don't have a life?"

"Yes. That is, in fact, exactly what I was implying," I said smiling. "Oh come on Karkat, you know I'm joking." We were quiet for a short moment. "There are plenty of other reasons why you don't have a life."

"Well screw you too Jade."

"Whatever Karkat,"I was still smiling as he scowled at the ground. "Why are you always so grouchy?"

"Because the world is stupid and every human being is a waste of my precious oxygen."

"You know Karkat you're sounding more and more emo every second."

"You're sounding more and more like a useless moron every second."

I put my hand over my heart. "Why Karkat why? Why do you hurt me like this?" He stared at me confused for a few seconds before I broke down laughing. He looked at me then shook his head like something was deadly wrong with me. I couldn't stop laughing though just because the stupid look on his face. Finally I caught my breath and smiled. That's when I realized Rose, John and Sollux were nowhere to be seen. "Crap we lost them. Of course, maybe this calls for celebration because you seem to hate them all so much."

"It would be a good thing if somehow I alone had been separated from the group, but it's you _and_ me and you're gradually getting more annoying."

"I'm so hurt. I'm just a little girl Karkat why do you do this to me?" He looked at me weirdly again and I resisted the urge to laugh hysterically. We walked around a bit but there wasn't much Karkat wanted to actually do because he wasn't into comics or pop culture. In fact he wasn't into much of anything.

"So why didn't you cosplay today?" I asked.

"Because cosplaying is stupid and useless and a total waste of time. It makes you look ridiculous!"

I pulled out my rifle and pointed it at his skull. "Do I look ridiculous now?" I asked, trying to look serious and scary. We were quiet for a second while I tried not to blink and just stare at him.

"Yes. Yes you do. Now put that away, you're going to hurt someone," he said, turning away. I sighed and tried to start a conversation again.

"So what kind of stuff are you into?" I asked, catching up to him.

"Internet. Coding. That's pretty much it," he said. "What about you?"

"Gardening and shooting rifles, like I do shooting competitions and crap."

"So you like gardening and shooting freaking rifles?" he asked.

"Yes," I said, not changing my expression."

"Okay then."

"Honestly is that the weirdest thing you've heard today?" I asked.

"Nope," he said after thinking about it, "not at all."

"Also I've mastered nuclear physics for the most part."

"That," he said, "_is_ the weirdest thing I've heard today. By a long shot. You've won the prize of being the weirdest most random person I've ever had the displeasure of meeting."

I faked a gasp. "Why Karkat that's so sweet! I'm so touched! Thank you."

"It wasn't a compliment," he said, walking faster. I caught up with him pretty quickly.

"I know. Now Karkat I need to tell you something," he turned to me.

"What?" he said both annoyed and bored.

"It'd be much better for the both of us if you dropped the whole 'I hate Everything and Everyone' act thing you've been keeping up. It's stupid and time consuming and I know for a fact you don't hate everything half as much as you pretend you do. If you'd stop treating me like you couldn't care less about me and start acting like I'm a person that'd be great." I put up a completely forced smile. "So start acting like yourself and then I can actually get to know you some." We were quiet for a few seconds. "Okay?" the silence lasted for around a minute.

"Ok Jade," he said, not breaking eye contact. "Okay."

***A Few Comic Con Days Later***

I was in my hotel room rubbing fake blood off my arms in the shower. It was a shame comic con was done. I was going to miss it. I was also going to know what Dave went though after he had to leave Terezi. They'd started dating in the last few days, at long last but now Dave was depressed that they were going to be separated again. I was actually sad to see Karkat go, not that I'd tell anyone that. I got all the blood and scars off me and got changed in the bathroom before going back out. Dave, John and Rose were hanging out in the hotel room, packing up.

"It's sad we have to go," I said, throwing things into my suitcase.

"Yeah," Dave said quietly.

"It was fun. A lot of fun," John said with a smile. I smiled too.

"It always is," I replied. Soon we were done packing up and it was time to go. I looked out the window. It was dark out already at only 7 o'clock. I grabbed my suitcase and left our small hotel room, sadder than usual to leave.

Karkat, Sollux and Terezi were waiting in the lobby for us. Dave and Terezi hugged and kissed, of course. I said good bye to Terezi and Sollux before going over to Karkat.

"Bye Karkat," I said with a painfully fake smile. "You were loud, annoying and hated every word out of my mind but I'm gonna miss you."

"Jade, if we're being insulting here then you were way too weird and nerdy and said things that made no sense and threaten me with a fake rifle, but yeah, I might miss you too." He was blushing and looking at the ground. "Maybe."

"Yo Harley it's time to go," Dave called out. I turned away.

"Bye Karkat. See you next year."

"Wait Jade!" he called out before I left. I turned around.

"What?" I asked.

"carcinoGeneticist. My Pesterchum handle is carcinoGeneticist. Could you, uh, pester me sometime?"

I smiled "Of course. Bye Karkat."

I knew that wouldn't be the last time I talked to Karkat.

Heck, it was just the beginning.


	24. Karkat and Sollux

**Ship: Karkat and Sollux**

**Words: 1,715**

**Warning: sadstuck**

**Note: ok at first this was hard to writ but now it's one of my favorites. Requested by Brit98! (some of Karkat and Sollux's stories are based off of stuff I've done, including the prank call)**

Goodbyes were the hardest part.

I was sitting on my porch with my suitcase lying disregarded next to me. Sollux sat not far away and looked out at the sunset unblinkingly and unemotionally. I wish I knew what he was thinking, but I didn't and never would. My dad and Kankri were pushing boxes into the moving van. Usually my dad would yell at me to go help pack but we had made an unspoken agreement not to make me leave Sollux alone for more time then necessary. I think, though I had never told him, he knew I had feelings for Sollux. Either that or Kankri had told him. I could see Kankri eyeing me as he walked back inside and came out with another box. The sun seemed to go down faster than it should. Time was going too quickly. Soon talking was going to be unavoidable. Maybe I should just tell him; tell him I was in love with him, but I didn't. I just looked at my neighbor's, Nepeta's, house and wondered if I'd remember what it looked like or how annoying her dogs were at night or how she'd hide under my porch when her dogs got loose and I'd hide with her sometimes. In five, ten, even fifteen years would I remember all of this? Would I remember the small house we'd lived in in Washington? Would my best friend Gamzee or Nepeta or Kanaya remember me? Would Sollux?

Or would I be forgotten just like Aradia had when she moved away in 8th grade? Would I just become a memory? Just some guy who'd lived here for a while before moving on to another town to meet other people and live another unrelated life?

I had a feeling soon I'd just be like the setting sun, I'd be gone and no one would remember me and what I'd done by this time next year.

"Tho I guethth thith ith goodbye?" Sollux said, not looking at me. I had said the majority of my goodbyes yesterday. Nepeta had cried and hugged me while Kanaya had looked sad before putting on a smile and hugging me and saying she'd miss me more than I'd understand. I said I'd miss her more than her mind could begin to comprehend and it was true. I needed Kanaya there to talk to when things got bad. Now I'd only have Kankri and that was never a good alternative. Gamzee seemed more distant than usual but had said he'd miss me. I'd saved Sollux until the last second because I didn't want to admit I was going. I didn't want to admit I wasn't going to see him every day as we walked to school together and that we couldn't play video games together every Friday. I didn't want to admit he was going to be gone, gone like a cold breeze on a hot day in August; something you wish you had savored more while it lasted before the heat of the world surrounded you again. Because, though I'd hate to be mean, there are a million cute girls with bright smiles living in two story houses across the street. There are a million intelligent fashion designers that would listen to your problems and hug you. There are a million stoners with dumb grins who give you hug when you don't want them.

But there's only one Sollux.

"Yeah," I said, whispering and hoping I didn't cry. "I guess this is goodbye."

"I'm going to mithth all your yelling and rage quitting KK. It'th going to be boring with only ED or FF to play with me. I'll mithth you." I'd heard 'I'll miss you' a million times within the last few days. It'd become repetitive, like they no longer meant it, like they were just saying it behind forced smiles while really they didn't feel sad to see me go. 'I miss you' didn't seem to mean anything anymore. Just something people said so they weren't the jerk who didn't say anything nice to me. I wish he'd say something other than 'I miss you'.

"We can still play games and crap. You know that's what the internet is for right?" I said, louder, trying to sound like my regular angry self. Trying to act like I didn't mind moving.

"It'th not the thame. I need to hear you rage quit. It'th jutht tho entertaining hearing you flip out and thtorm out of the room. It'th thomething only you can do KK. It ith your one true thkill." He snickered and I rolled my eyes.

"Ha ha," I said sarcastically. "You're _so _funny Sollux. Not." I looked away "if there's one thing I'm not going to miss it's your rudeness and sarcasm. It's not a trait you'd like your best friend to have."

"What'th funny ith I could literally thay the exact thame thing back and it would thtill make thenthe." He pointed out with a smile showing his sharp white teeth which could have given bites worse than a shark.

"Whatever. So, off the topic of what you're going to be happy to see gone is there anything you'll actually miss about me other then my rage quitting skills?" It was an honest question. I was hoping I wasn't going to be remembered as the annoying sarcastic guy who yelled all the time, but when Nepeta, Kanaya, Gamzee and Sollux graduated next year if they bothered to take the time to think of how we always thought we'd graduate together, I really doubt they'd remember me as anything other than an annoying jerk that was never nice to anyone. Heck, maybe that's who I really was. I was just another forgettable person with no real personality.

I needed to stop worrying about what I was going to be remembered as and talk to Sollux or I'd ruin my last moments with him. "What I'm I going to mithth about you? Let'th thee… that'th a hard one KK," I rolled me eyes for the millionth time that day. "I'll mithth your relationthhip advice and having thomeone to joke about ED with. I'll mithth thtupid inthide joketh and how thometimeth you'd thay the motht random and funny inthultth. I'll mithth having a guy to talk to and teaching you how to. I'll mithth actually having a friend." We were quiet for a second. "Happy?"

"Yeah." I looked at the setting sun and the sky lit up in an array of colors. "Yeah I'm happy."

"Hey Sollux," he looked at me, "remember when we prank called Eridan and pretended to be lemon entrepreneurs or whatever and he literally believed us? And afterwards when we saw him in the halls we'd whisper 'lemons,' and he'd always look around to see who said it?"

He laughed. "Oh yeah. Remember when we played a League of Legendth for 13 hourth thtraight. I won every game."

"I won at least once," I retorted.

"One out of 20 ithn't that great of a thcore."

"Oh screw you Sollux." We were quiet again. "Remember when we bought 10 Red Bulls from Texaco and drank them all in under an hour? Then you threw up."

It went back and forth like this. Remember when we sunk into the Valley to listen to Imagine Dragons even though you said you hated them? Remember when you had to dress up as a girl for Halloween and you actually went out in public? Remember when we stole your dad's car and almost crashed it into a tree? Remember when we ran away from home and made it only five miles before heading back. Camping trips up in the mountains, going to Frogs Park at one o'clock in the morning and daring each other to jump into the lake, winning that video game competition together, that time we pulled an all-nighter because we forgot to study for that test that was at least 50% of our grade then passed. Feels jams and girl problems and stupid things we did. Inside jokes became stories, legends like the one's Kankri would sometimes tell us about. Things we'd be remembered for, stuff freshman would learn about. Stuff that made us who we were.

I wasn't worried about being remembered as an angry guy anymore, because right then, laughing about the stupid things we did, I knew Sollux wouldn't forget me. I knew he'd remember what we'd done together, he'd remember his best friend. In that moment I forgot about moving and remembered memories I'd shoved deep down in my mind, things that at the time were too embarrassing for me to accept but now made me feel like I was infinite. I was Karkat Vantas. He was Sollux Captor. And that was all that mattered.

I should have done it then. Told him I loved him. But I was too busy laughing and crying hot tears while smiling. He was too. Because I was leaving and I knew deep inside there weren't going to be any more of these memories to be made. Because soon we'd be making these memories with other people.

"Karkat!" My dad called, "it's time to go!" we looked at each other, tears of laughter and disguised sadness on our face.

"Bye KK," he said with a smile.

"Bye Sollux." I hugged him and he hugged me back and I pretended we were in love then, not just bros. He let go and smiled again.

"I'll mithth you."

"Me too." I sighed and smiled, holding back anymore tears. I grabbed my bag and walked down the porch.

"You'll pester me right?" He asked, following me.

"Of course. Duh Sollux." I threw my last bag into the moving van. We looked at each other with tear marks in thick lines staining our cheeks.

"twinArmageddonth," he said.

"carcinoGeneticist," I said even though we both had each other's handles memorized. "Bye Sollux," I got into my dad's truck.

"I love you," I muttered, waving as we drove away.

I should have so many things that day. I should have, I could have.

But sometimes moments like that are ones you don't want to break.

One day I'll say 'I love you' to him.

But until then I'll have to wait.


	25. Nepeta and Equius

**Ship: Nepeta and Equius**

**Words: 2,175**

**Warnings: Death and violence and sadstuck**

**Note: Bluh, it's not the best but hey, it's something. Also IT'S THE 25****TH**** OH YEAH! I'm almost done. Requested by ****Spy of Influence****.**

Why does the most fateful and terrifying day of your life always start out so normal?

Every book I've read starts on a regular day, or at least most of them. It's sort of like they want to catch you off guard. It's kinda scary and they never give you any warning, whoever 'they' is. I guess the moral is to always be prepared; always expect the worst, but that's just a horrible outlook on life. So I never wake up in the morning and think 'hey, maybe today I'll die.' I never do anything like that. Sounds like something dumb Karkat would do.

I guess I should have been a bit on edge.

It was Halloween after all.

Karkat, Gamzee, Equius, Tavros, Terezi and I were walking down a street at around 12 o'clock at night. Almost all the little kids were home already while some older 'rebellious' kids TP'd some people's houses at random. I was wearing one of Equius's hoodies which was too big for me and completely covered my hands. It was cold out and the moon was full, lighting up the sky. Gamzee had been acting weird, quiet and distracted. Karkat said something about Gamzee being out of his pills. I didn't know what that meant and thought nothing of it. We were walking to a house that had been declared long ago to be haunted because Vriska had dared me, Terezi and Karkat to spend the night in it. The rest of us were there because we were all friends and if the house was haunted, we'd have strength in numbers. Equius reminded me for the millionth time that it wasn't really haunted. I knew that, of course, but the thought of spending Halloween night in a haunted house was exciting. Karkat and Tavros were a bit scared, Gamzee was impossible to read at the moment and Terezi and I were just excited. As for my boyfriend, I was clueless. Equius hadn't said much all night, even at the party.

"Is this it?" I asked, staring up at the house we had stopped at. It did look the part of haunted house, with walls that looked like they might fall in at any second and gaps in the walls where windows should be. The whole thing was a classic set up for a murder.

"413 Mirth Street," Karkat said wearily, "yeah this is the place."

"It smells horrible," Terezi commented. "Come on, let's get this over with," she said before walking across the dead and brittle grass and up the creaking staircase before pushing the door open. Karkat followed her, cursing.

"This place doesn't look very mirthful," I muttered before walking across the grass. Equius followed not far behind. I cautiously walked up the stairs, boards so old they looked as though one touch would cause them to crumble. I stepped on a board in the wrong place at one point and it caved in beneath my feet. I let out a girlish screech and Equius instantly grabbed my arm and pulled me up.

"Thanks Equius," I said my arm hurting from his grasp. We entered, Gamzee and Tavros behind us.

"Karbro," Gamzee said, one of the first times he'd spoken all night. "I think I should up and get home. Maybe the pills came today."

"No way," Karkat said. "You know they didn't come today. Besides you're fine. You just don't want to stay here over night."

"I'm being honest Karbro I shouldn't stay here."

"Just shut up," Karkat said, walking around. Everything was covered in a thin layer of dust and looked like it had been pulled out of the middle of the 20th century. It was even colder inside then out and I pulled Equius's jacket tighter around me.

"I'm tired," I said to no one particular. Cold, hungry and tired. Not a good combination. No one else said anything but I thought I heard Gamzee whisper 'shut up,' under his breath and I hoped he wasn't talking to me. After searching some rooms, and luckily finding no dead bodies, we were out of things to do. Terezi and Karkat found a place and cleared it of dust and began telling horror stories in honor of Halloween. Gamzee asked Tavros to come someplace private so he could talk to him and Tavros agreed, following him up a rickety stair case.

"Tavros is going to be in an awkward situation and Gamzee's going to be heartbroken," Karkat said.

"Why?" I asked, curious about any talk of ships or relationships.

"Gamzee's going to ask out Tavros, duh, and Tavros is going to say no. He has the hugest crush on Vriska anyway. So awkward situation for everyone." He shook his head. "Want to tell some horror stories?" I shook my head and walked down the hall, listening to the wind wail outside.

"Nepeta if you do not wish to stay here you don't need to. Vriska's foolish dare can't keep you here against your will," Equius said, following me as I went into a child's old bedroom with blank walls and a four poster bed.

"It's fine. Just beclaws I'm tired doesn't mean I don't want to stay here," I said, lying down on the bed. It was lumpy and uncomfortable. Equius came and sat next to me.

"Are you certain Nepeta?" he asked, concerned.

"Of course," I said with a smile. I wrapped my arms around him and he hugged me back, making sure not to hurt me. I then leaned into him and we cuddled for a bit without saying anything.

"Mew know Equius," I said with a yawn, "coming here was a bad idea, but I'm not going to back off now."

"I know it was a bit of a foolish idea, but I don't believe anything that bad is going to happen."

I nodded and yawned again. "You know I love you Equius." We had said 'I love you' to each other only a few weeks ago and even saying it now gave me a rush of excitement.

"I love you too Nepeta," he said and I feel asleep in his arms.

And woke up to a scream.

I sat up quickly and turned to Equius, my eyes wide with fear. I silently jumped off the bed and looked around for something to defend myself with in case something was wrong. I heard another scream, loud and closer. Then I heard a honk.

Equius grabbed a baseball bat off the bedroom floor. He walked over to the four poster bed and broke off one of the posts which let out a loud crack as it snapped. He shoved it into my hands and I took it and tried not to look a little bit scared.

"Go into the basement and wait for me. Hurry, I'll be there soon Nepeta." He kissed me quickly on the forehead.

"Equius-" I said but he cut me off.

"I love you. See you soon."

"Ok. I love you." I snuck out of the bedroom, hopefully unnoticed by whatever was causing the screams. I heard another scream and hurried over to the door to the basement. I turned on the light switch and nothing happened. Of course there was no power. I slowly descended the stone stairs in complete darkness.

It was silent down there. I could hear footsteps above my head and I held the broken bed post in my hand, wishing I knew what was going on. Then I saw some sort of light and realized it was an air vent. I tried my best to rip the vent off and succeeded. I realized it was actually a good hiding place. I climbed up the dusty air vent until I heard voices up ahead.

"Look Equius, you've got to leave. Make a run for it." It was Karkat's voice, scratchy and barely above a whisper.

"I refuse to run. I must protect Nepeta." That voice was Equius's.

"Look, I'll see what I can do with Gamzee. I am his best friend. There has to be something I can do," I could hear the desperation in his voice.

_Honk_

"Did you hear that?" Karkat was scared. He was really scared.

"Yes I did," Equius replied. "You have to leave now. I command you to."

_HONK_

"Equius shut up for a second."

"Best friend," Gamzee's voice seemed far, but significantly closer than anyone wanted. "WHERE ARE YOU?" Then it felt like he was closer, much closer. Like we had no chance to outrun him or escape because he was already here.

"Oh crap," Karkat muttered. I couldn't see any of them, just hear their voices. "Equius, run. I'll try to stop him."

"Karkat you are not capable of stopping him. Also I cannot leave Nepeta alone. You know that."

"This is no time to be honorable. This is a time to stay alive," Karkat said, yelling at a whisper.

"This had nothing to do with being brave. This has to do with saving Nepeta."

"Ok. I'll distract Gamzee while you ca-"

"Run Vantas. Just run. I will deal with Gamzee. Like you said this is past the point of being honorable and brave. Run. I'll get out alive." There was silence.

"Ok fine. Go save your kitty girlfriend." Then I couldn't hear anything. Just silence and darkness. Then another scream. I could stay put any longer. I tried for a few minutes until I kicked the vent out.

I saw no one and nothing. I was in the middle of one of the hallways. Then I heard a voice. Just a repetitive honk, over and over again, never getting louder, but when I closed my eyes it surrounded me. I didn't know where it was coming from yet I silently moved with no destination in mind. I ended up hidden behind a corner, looking at the kitchen where Gamzee and Equius were. Equius's back was up against the wall and the base ball bat lay cleaved in half on the ground. I wish I knew what had happened. Equius's leg was covered in blood, as was Gamzee, but I didn't know whose blood was whose. Then I noticed while Equius was unarmed, Gamzee had a knife. Only then did it click in I should be worried more then I already was. This was real life and I really could die tonight. Equius could die tonight.

Gamzee was walking closer to Equius slowly, whispering 'honk' with each step. Equius hadn't noticed me yet and my eyes had locked on a knife on the kitchen counter. I quietly moved over, grabbed it and stared at Gamzee.

It's all in self defense.

Don't think of him as your friend.

He's not your friend anymore.

Then I ran at him and literally stabbed him in the shoulder. He didn't scream, he didn't make a noise. I pulled out my knife and he turned to me and smiled.

"Hey Kitty," he said softly, smiling, "do you want to come play with us?"

He took a step forward then grabbed my shoulders and slammed me into the ground. I let out a moan and felt my whole body shake with pain. He took the knife and pressed it up against my throat.

"This is my favorite game Nepeta. This is when I get my revenge." I closed my eyes and tried to fight yet he didn't even notice. I couldn't help but think this was going to be how I die.

My last words were going to be, 'I love you'.

Then, suddenly, no one was on top of me. I couldn't feel the cold blade of the knife up against my throat. I wasn't dead. I was alive. Equius shoved Gamzee into a wall with all his strength. He wasn't smiling but Gamzee was grinning like this was the best thing to ever happen. Equius threw him down so he hit the ground and in a split moment I grabbed my knife and stabbed him in the chest. I couldn't help but feel like I had just killed a boss in a video game, but this was no game. This was real life. I looked as the life drained from his eyes and he kept smiling. Gamzee Makara was dead. My friend was dead.

I was crying. And bleeding some from my throat. Equius walked over and hugged me, blood getting all over me. This was real life. This all just happened.

"It's ok Nepeta," He whispered. "It was self defense. It's ok. I love you."

I hugged Equius to forget the pain and the blood that now stained my clothes and the new memories that stained my past. He was just like before, just like he had always been. I had to forget what had just happened for a moment.

Hugging Equius made me feel ok. I loved him and he would do nothing to hurt me.

I loved Equius Zahhak and he loved me.

And no matter what, I knew that would never change.


	26. Nepeta and Gamzee

**Ship: Nepeta and Gamzee**

**Words: 1,486**

**Warning: nope**

**Note: Longish note. The month's almost over, thank God! This was fun but I'm never doing anything like this ever again. Ever. My mental river of ideas had run dry and I'm just searching for a few useful drops. I do have an idea for the last day, a ship I'm sure 95% of the fandom ships. It's gonna be a surprise though :D. Also tomorrow is going to be Kurloz x Nepeta and I apologize in advance for its suckyness. **

**Now the important note. After this month I'm gonna take a vote to see what day was your favorite and make an actually fanfiction out of it :) If I don't have any ideas for the one that wins or I don't like the set up or something like that I'll just veto it and do my personal favorite which is *drum roll* KARKAT X TEREZI. Ok whatever no one really cares :P**

**Requested by RainbowCat101. **

I had the weirdest assignments in AP English but the essay about love took the gold. It was around February when our wacky teacher told us we had to write a three or more page essay about what Love meant to us. People kept talking about how easy it was going to be and stuff while I was thrown into a panic. I was sort of the go-to girl for relationship advice, yet I knew nothing about what it meant to be in love myself. I used to have a crush on Karkitty but that didn't work out well, and like I said, it was nothing more than a silly crush. I had been raking my mind for an idea of what love meant to me yet found nothing worthy of my essay. I knew what love _wasn't. _It wasn't violent, manipulative or painful. I knew it had to be more than that. I guess I could just quote the bible and say that love was patient and kind but that didn't seem right. Karkat had invited me over to his house and a couple of us were hanging out while I stayed in the background writing down stuff about love in my green notebook whose pages usually only held ships. I took a break from working to write down a couple ships, scanning the room, looking at all the people and thinking of all the shipping opportunities. Feferi and Sollux, definitely, Rose and Kanaya, DUH, and Terezi and Karkat, but that was just a maybe. Eridan and Aradia, more of a random ship that would never be cannon yet still good, Tavros and Vriska which seemed a bit unlikely. I kept looking around until I saw Gamzee. Who to ship him with? I'd already shipped everyone which meant I just _had _to ship him with a certain cat girl….

"Hey sis," Gamzee apparently had walked over next to me while I had zoned out. I shut my notebook as quickly as possible. Gamzee sat down on the floor next to me, pushing his long crazy black hair out of his eyes. His eyes were purple which was very peculiar and rare but he let everyone see them unlike Dave and Karkat and their oddly colored eyes. He was taller then everyone in school which included all the staff and students. He was at least a foot taller than me.

"Pawzee!" I said in surprise. "Mew scared me!" I put my notebook down so he couldn't see the words 'SHIPPING NOTEBOOK' written in huge block print.

"Hey I'm sorry sis. You looked lonely so I thought I should up and talk to you some. Can't let a sis like you be alone now can I?" I guess I might as well admit it, when working on the essay I had thought a lot about Gamzee. We'd been friends for a long, long time and I had a feeling I was head deep in the friend zone. I didn't know what attracted me to him; it was something I couldn't control. Love worked in mysterious ways. Then again, I wouldn't call it love yet. Just a crush. A very deep and meaningful crush.

"Thanks Pawzee. I just have to work on this assignment for English. It's driving me insane!" Crap! Rule number one was to never bring up insanity with Gamzee. Karkat told me that a long time ago yet I still didn't understand why. I guessed it was a sensitive topic with him and had learned not to bring it up to often.

"Yeah, I know how you feel," he didn't seem to care so I moved on. "What're you writing about?"

"Love," I said shortly, opening to a blank page in my notebook.

"Aren't you the shipping queen? This should be easy for you," he said with a smile.

"Yeah I know. I just haven't efur been in love before…" I trailed off.

"Well if you've never been in love before why don't you just up and think about some dreamy guy and what you'd like to be like with him." That was actually good advice.

"Ok," I said, pressing my pencil against the paper. "I guess it would have to be honest."

"Yeah," he said nodding, "and caring." I wrote that down too.

"I guess you have to be furriends first and that furriendship has to last though the relationship." I said, getting more inspired just by Gamzee's presence. I just had to pretend I was dating him. It didn't have to be true love, just caring about them and kissing them and telling them things were alright. It wasn't pure love, just what it felt like.

"Yeah," he said, looking right into my eyes, "they're always friends first."

"What else?" I asked. "it's based of respect and responsibility right? And trust."

"Yeah. I broke up with a girl once because she would never trust me." I never thought Gamzee had a girlfriend before. I guess they must have dated before he moved here. I thought of a perfect girl with blonde hair and a pretty smile and bright blue eyes. Some girl who had the nicest smile and the cutest laugh and was nice to everyone. I used to think about people like that a lot, people who were people. People Gamzee deserved. Not a cat obsessed weird girl who fan-girled about books and talked too fast and used cat puns, with dull short brown hair and green eyes. Someone so typical, so average yet so annoying that everyone in class secretly hated her.

I thought I had left my low self esteem, self consciousness, and I-have-zero-confidence phase behind me. I guess sometimes wounds re-open.

"So trust is important. Then what? I guess just being nice and understanding to one another. Not judging them," I stopped, "at least most of the time."

"Let miracles happen on their own," he said and I stopped for a second before shrugging and jotting down that as well.

"Don't expect things to be purrfect! Beclaws things aren't always purrfect or wonderful or clawless!"

"Uh sis, what do you mean by 'clawless?" I blushed. It was embarrassing when people didn't understand my puns. Explaining was always awkward.

"Flawless," I said.

"Ohhh. I should have picked up on that one," he said with another smile. I loved his smile. It seemed so perfect and genuine. Like he meant it. Like he really didn't hate anyone.

"Ok what else, what else?" I was on a roll now and nothing was going to stop me. "Patient and understanding." We kept talking the whole time, getting off topic and laughing about weird clown stuff I didn't understand or talking about one of my cats. Then it got late and was time to go. Gamzee offered to walk home with me and we walked down the uncrowded streets, avoiding puddles and rain falling from tree branches.

"So sis, do you have enough for your essay yet?" he asked as we approached my apartment building. It was getting dark out and I could only see looming shapes of buildings instead of the details to tell which one was which.

"I think so," I said with a smile, which he returned. "Thanks Gamzee!"

"No problem. Anything to help a sister out." We reached my apartment building at around 10 o'clock. I sighed and turned to the building.

"Thanks again Gamzee! See you Monday," I said, sad to see him go.

"Bye sis. It was fun hanging out today." We were so close we were almost touching. I looked straight into his violet eyes which sparkled with no light around. My mind was chanting to kiss him yet something held me back. I didn't want to ruin our friendship at all.

Then again, hadn't I said all relationships should be built on love?

"Yeah, really fun!" I said, hoping I didn't sound little-kiddish or immature. "We should hang out more." He took another step forward so I could feel his warm breath though the cold night air, so close he was just asking me to kiss him.

So I didn't try to fight it. I leaned in and kissed him.

He didn't pull away or act like he didn't enjoy it. In fact he hugged me, pulling me closer, closing the gap between us. I hugged him back and stayed that way, kissing with light rain swirling around us. Finally he broke away and smiled.

"Bye Nepeta," that was the first time he had called me Nepeta in a while, "see you soon." Then he walked down the dark street. I went inside, smiling like an idiot. I ran upstairs and collapsed on my bed with a smile.

_Maybe my essay wouldn't be so hard to write now_ was the last thing I thought before falling asleep, smiling and giddy.

Maybe Gamzee was right. Miracles have to happen on their own.


	27. Kurloz and Nepeta

**Ship: Kurloz and Nepeta**

**Words: 1,582**

**Warnings: none **

**Note: for Karkatsbabe! I'd like to say good job because all the Kurloz/Nepeta stuff I searched up was usually requested by you. You're making this ship a ship. Good Job.**

**Also tomorrow's the last day *muffled screaming***

Some dream bubbles seemed endless. Some were smaller, but they were almost always empty. That was the thing that never changed. I didn't even know who I was looking for, I guess Equius most of all, and Karkat, assuming he was dead, and last but not least, Gamzee. I couldn't remember dying, not the pain or how it happened or who did it, I just remembered Gamzee. Maybe I'd find him somewhere. Maybe he was alive. I really had no clue. I also had no clue whose memory I was in currently or if anyone else was in here. It was fairly small though, so searching shouldn't take too long. It was covered in thick woods and random rivers, some place I would have liked to have lived before the game. I split my life into three sections. Before the Game, during the game, and death. Sadly it seemed like all the most important things, and the worst things, in my lifetime had taken place during and after the game. I just wished it would go back to the way it was before, now I was just dead, looking for someone I knew, or maybe just looking for someone. Any company would be welcomed at this point.

Time had also seemed to lose its meaning as days wore on, leaving me unsure of how long I had been dead. Days passed which turned to weeks then to months then to nothing, just time that passed by like dust in the wind. It didn't seem like a form of measurement anymore. It just seemed like something that was always there yet meaningless. I walked through the forest, touching every tree I saw knowing that maybe it wasn't real. I still didn't understand dream bubbles. I should have paid attention when Kanaya explained them to me, but back then I had just thought we had been playing some game. Not something life threatening. Maybe that's why Karkat never took me seriously; because I thought it was just a game while he understood it was more than that, worse than that. I couldn't help but think of that all the time, how I didn't really understand what this was going to do to me. I really needed some company to take my mind off things.

I didn't know at the time, but Kurloz was going to be that company.

Once I was out of the woods there was a clearing with nothing but tall, brittle grass that blew gently in the wind. I walked though it and looked around me. It was night, which was usual for me. Too many dream bubbles had sun light which left me slightly blinded and burning from the hot Alternia rays. Of course, I couldn't really die now so it didn't matter. Or could I? I had no idea. At last there was a moon again and I looked up and saw stars and faint galaxies lighting up the night sky along with a full moon. Not a cloud to be seen. It was perfect. That's when I heard a noise. It wasn't loud, just footstep quietly falling not far away. I instantly looked down from the sky and looked around, only to see someone terribly familiar.

"Gamzee!" I yelled and darted as fast as I could, pushing through the grass. I was so excited, so happy I could barely breath. I tackled him, pushing him to the ground, and then hugging him. Then I realized it wasn't Gamzee. Not at all. I immediately got off of him, embarrassed. Up close he looked a lot less like Gamzee. He had crazy black hair and was wearing clothes that resembled a skeleton. But he did have horns like Gamzee and was only a little bit taller than he was. After we stood up again he signed something to me and I shook my head confused and told him I didn't understand. He looked disappointed and I felt bad.

_"Meulin?" _A strange voice rang through my mind. I was a bit shook and scared at first before calming down and looking at him.

"Was that you?" I asked. He nodded. "To answer your question I'm not Meulin." He nodded again, sad I guess. Then I noticed his mouth was stitched shut. That freaked me out even more then I already was. That's why he wasn't talking.

_"Is anyone else here?" _I was already getting used to having a voice in my head. I actually got used to it faster than expected, too fast for most people to get used to strange voice in their heads. I shook my head.

"It's just me. In fact I've been looking for other life for a while now. efuryone is gone I guess." I said looking away, saddened. "Mewby Meulin's out there somewhere, somewhere closer then mew think."

"_Maybe." _Then there was silence between the two of us. I was wondering if I should be the one to break it, I hadn't seen a troll or human or any sort of life other than trees in weeks, months, sweeps maybe. Like I said, time had lost meaning to me.

"So who are you exactly? Not to be rude or anything like that. I haven't seen anyone in so long," I asked looking up at him with a smile.

_"I'm Kurloz Makara. Who are you?" _he asked, smiling. He smiled looked weird, pulled up by cross woven stitches.

"I'm Nepeta Leijon! It's nice to meet you Purrloz!" My cat puns were already taking over his name. He smiled again after I called him that. Maybe he liked cat puns. That would be cool given the fact no one really enjoyed anyone else's puns, me included.

_"It's nice to meet you too Nepeta. Follow me." _I followed him, running through the tall grass. The farther we went the taller the grass got until it was over my head completely. Finally the grass become shorter and I could see over it again. There was a hive, not too big yet bigger then my cave had been.

_"This is my hive. Do you want to come in?" _I nodded excitedly and we went inside together. We 'talked' for a bit and I fell asleep in a recuperacoon, thinking about how happy I was not to be alone anymore.

"Come on Purrloz!" I yelled, pushing through the grass. He followed, not running like I was but keeping pace with me. We had known each other for a while now, at least a few months. We had become really close friends which was saying something. I think I was evolving flushed feelings for him. Maybe it was just because he was the only other troll around. I guess I didn't know. I ran up into the clearing, followed by Kurloz.

"So what do you want to do today Kurloz?" I asked, looking into the milky night sky.

_"Whatever you want to do Nepeta," _he replied. His voice no longer seemed like a voice in my head but simply like he was talking aloud. I looked back up into the sky.

"Why don't we just hang out here and do nothing for a little bit." He nodded and I lay down and stared at the sky. It was so clear tonight and beautiful. It was every night. He sat down next to me and looked up at the sky as well. We were silent for awhile, watching shooting stars and whatever else was out there. Then he stood up.

_"I'll be right back Nepeta," _then he left. I waited for what seemed like ten minutes before wondering where he had gone. Suddenly I wondered what would happen if he never came back. Here I was left alone again. If I started spending the days walking around empty dream bubbles, wishing, hoping to find someone, anyone out there. All alone, no one to talk to, nothing to take my mind off death and my life before and friends I may never see again. About Equius and Karkat and Gamzee. All alone. Then I realized I needed Kurloz. I really needed him. I stood up, wondering where he was, because without him I could lose my mind.

Then I heard him coming out from the woods. I ran over and tackled him, hugging him with all my strength before letting go, embarrassed a little bit by my reaction to his leaving. I had knocked him to the ground, probably because I had surprised him and he stood up, brushing dirt off himself. I apologized quickly.

"Nefur leave me alone again!" I commanded. He asked why and if something bad had happened and I shook my head and blushed, admitting I had simply been scared. He smiled and gave me another hug. Hugs were always awkward because of his height but I was ok with that. Awkward hugs could be awesome too.

"So where did you go?" I asked. In reply he showed me a flower in his hand, green like my blood. I smiled and took it, thanking him. Then we lay down on the ground again, 'talking' for a bit longer. I started getting extremely tired, barely staying awake.

_'You can go to sleep now Nepeta," _Kurloz said. I crawled over to him and curled up into a ball. He hugged me tight and I buried my face into his shoulder.

"You'll nefur leave me right Purrloz?" I asked as I drifted off.

"_Never Nepeta." _He gave me a kiss on the forehead. "_I'll be here." _


	28. The First Ship

**Ship: The First Ship (The Signless and the Disciple)**

**Words: 2,292**

**Warning: It's the Signless and Disciple. You should know the warnings.**

**Note: At the end.**

My name is the Disciple. It is not my real name but it is the name passed down, the name remembered by low bloods everywhere. It's the name remembered though history which progressively turned to legend. It gradually became my name, so much a part of me that I almost forgot my real name. I didn't need one. I am the Disciple, always brave but never brave enough, strong but not as strong as I want to be. In the end I was nothing more than a shipper and a hunter. I have olive blood, too much of which has been lost and stained over the past. I'm a low blood, but the highest of the low.

My name is the Disciple and I fell in love with a mutant, a rebel.

And I will always love him.

I first met him while he was preaching to a crowd of low bloods, speaking words of wisdom, saying aloud thoughts and ideas all low bloods have thought at one point in their lifetimes. Just hearing him saying aloud those thoughts, the ones I had learned to shove deep into the back of my mind, made me feel strong, like all those secret dreams could become reality. But I knew in my heart that it was all craziness, some fantasy we could never achieve. Equality among blood colors was impossible, but as his sermon continued I began to believe more and more. Each word seemed important and meaningful. As every second passed I felt I had faith in every word he said. As he finished I realized though I had never truly met him I trusted him. I trusted him with my dreams of rebellion. I knew he was the one who would save us in the end.

As he spoke I heard low bloods agreeing, yelling as loud as they could to show they agreed with every word he said, just like I did. I also heard high bloods scream, protesting against the truth in his words. I knew if he continued much longer the highbloods would not allow him to live. I knew it from the start.

But our planet needed this. We needed him.

I needed him.

The crowd was in an uproar, yelling and screaming a mixture of agreement and argument. Discord reigned and a crowd morphed into a mob. But unlike a regular mob it was fighting itself, low blood on highblood and I had no doubt who would win. Highbloods were stronger then low bloods and even strength in numbers meant nothing. I couldn't let anyone die, but most of all the troll who had been speaking, who had begun this mob, had to be safe. I could he his voice, muffled above the cries of anger and injustice, telling us not to fight, but it was useless and even he must have known it. As the fight became more and more intense I found myself running to him. I knew he could not be safe here, surrounded by high bloods.

"Follow me," I said. He didn't say a word but followed me as I ran away undetected by lowbloods and highbloods alike. Another troll followed, a jade blood. As we hurried out of the city and into the wood where I lived I realized he didn't have a sign nor was his blood color easy to tell just by looking at him. Maybe he was just trying to hide his blood. At first I thought he was just a lowblood not wanting his blood to be known, but with all I had heard him say I figured he was the last person to disguise his blood. So why would he not show it proudly like every other troll?

I brought them to the cave I lived in before asking them questions. Both of them seemed fairly quiet and I hoped they would talk to me more later. He said to call him the Signless while she wanted to be called the Dolorosa. As we talked I asked him why he wished so much more for rebellion than any other lowblood or why he chose to say what we all had been thinking in the back of our minds. He said some of the most important words I will ever hear.

"If you are correct and all lowbloods wish for freedom yet are too afraid to take what is ours, then there is nothing stopping us from living all our lives trapped within the hemospectrum, thinking of what we could have done. If all lowbloods think this an insane goal then someone has to be the troll to begin to take what has been waiting for us. It seems as though we are all simply waiting for someone else to set in motion what we are all dying to happen. We are all waiting on someone. I realized that someone wasn't going to come. I realized I could no longer wait for another to be born. I had to do it myself." He stared into my eyes, daring me to call him crazy, to tell him to abandon his dream. Deep inside I knew it was hopeless, that we would end up dead, killed by highbloods for what we had done. The hemospectrum was not something that would be easily destroyed. When I looked into his eyes, not yet the color of his blood, I understood. I understood he meant every word he had said earlier. He truly believed we could win this war. His eyes sprung hope inside of me, washing over the fear and the darkness. Hope for change, hope for freedom. It all made sense when I looked into his eyes. Everything made sense. He believed, and I believed as well.

In that moment I became his first and most loyal disciple.

We would travel in any way we could, by land or sea. He told me of visions he had and I listened to everything he ever had to say, sometimes writing his preachings and visions in animal blood on cave walls. He could rant for hours at a time and I loved and soaked in everything he said because it meant something to me, it was important. I knew I would have to try to make him remembered in the future as the troll who destroyed the hemospectrum, the troll who set us free. I fell in love slowly, but it wasn't like I expected. It wasn't like a Matespritship. It was more; something stronger and more powerful.

A few weeks after the Psionic joined our small traveling group I told Signless what I was feeling. I tried to make it romantic with just two of us alone together, the bright stars lighting up the Alternia sky. I explained how it was neither Matespritship nor any other red love. How it was something more than that, something I had never felt before. He was silent for a few painful seconds before saying, "are you in love with me or are you in love with the revolution I have started and the things I say?" I realized he was right; part of the feel was pure excitement and loyalty towards him, but I then understood that it was far more than that.

"I am in love with both, but it is you I am truly in love with." Then he kissed me, soft and sweet. After that, everything changed. Not only did we kiss and show affection in the usual ways, but the rebellion and uprisings became more powerful, more meaningful. Lowbloods everywhere had heard of the Signless. Sadly, as news of us spread through all the lowbloods, the highbloods learned of us as well. In fact we caught the attention of Her Imperious Condescension, who wanted us captured and most likely killed. A troll I saw once while the Signless spoke told me how she was looking for us, and I thanked that troll greatly before rushing the Signless away. I didn't realize before then how much the world was helping us on, how many were on our side.

We moved constantly and the Signless opened up to me, telling me of his blood color and his past with the Dolorosa. I listened earnestly, then told him I didn't care about what color blood he had. Our love was unbreakable, stronger than any other it seemed.

That was until they found us.

Our arrest was quick and surprisingly not very violent. The Signless told us not to fight when we were found, though it took a great amount of strength on Psionic and my part not to lunge at them. I knew we weren't going to live. They led us though a town filled with lowbloods, our hands shackled, but we stood up straight and tried to seem strong though we had lost all our power. We walked without a word through the town where I had first seen him, sweeps ago, and I knew this was the last time we would all be together.

We were found guilty of too many charges to count, several simply invented to make us seem like the villains. I was surprised to learn only Signless and I were to be executed, yet happy that both the Psionic and Dolorosa would live, even if it was in torment.

We spent the night in one cell, all four of us. I told the Dolorosa thank you for all she had done and how she was like a mother to me, just as she had been to my Beloved. I told the Psionic he was the best of friends I could ever hope for and I was glad he could still live. I kissed the Signless and told him I loved him, and I turned to all of them and said I knew from the start we'd end up here, in a cell, awaiting death. I said thank you to all of them for everything they had done, how they had made me see change, how to make things better. I was glad to be part of this revolution, but more than that, I was glad I could be with such perfect people as they. I wouldn't change anything if I could.

They all said their goodbyes and for the rest of the night we held hands in a circle, not saying a word, not going to sleep. We were an unbreakable circle. We could not be separated, not by death nor life nor revolution. We were one.

Then the day came of our execution. Signless and I held our heads high, green tears slightly threatening to fall, but I wouldn't let them. This was how I was going to die. Side by side with the only one I loved.

Of course they had to take that away too.

They separated us, pulling me one way and him another. I screamed at him. I was meant to die next to him, to die strong. Only then did I find I was going to die alone. He didn't yell like I did or show he was angry. He looked at me and said, "I love you Disciple," before leaving me behind.

I waited my fate, never knowing how he died. An executioner came, covered in red blood. I looked away and stood tall. It was time to die.

He pulled back an arrow and I stared straight at him, not blinking or showing fear. I wasn't the girl I was when I met the Signless a few sweeps ago. I was a troll now. I was brave. I couldn't wait for him to shoot me, to die. This was my time to go and I wanted to go strong, brave, and unchanged by the highbloods. I had finally accepted death. So I watched as he pulled back the arrow and waited for him to let it fly.

But he never did.

He pulled back his arrow and yelled at me to run. No one was around to watch or to see what had happened. I stood there in shock for a moment then ran, afraid yet certain he was going to shoot me in the back.

He didn't, and I just kept running. I didn't once stop. I reached the woods and remembered running though it when I first met him, leading him to my cave. So that's where I went, unthinkingly. I stopped outside the mouth of the cave before entering, clearing spider webs. I walked over to one stone wall and saw pictures I had drawn when I first met him, of the three of us meeting. Below it I slowly drew pictures of our last moments together, all four of us. I cried as I wrote it because he was gone and the other two were going on to live a life maybe worse than death.

I once had a dream in which I remembered the time the Signless told me how after him there would be another red blood, another Signless who would help save our world. Then I dreamed of a boy with horns like my Signless and a girl like me and somehow I thought maybe they would be the ones. The new Signless and his new Disciple. I didn't know if they were born or alive yet, but one day they would be.

The revolution may have failed but we did what no lowblood had done before.

My name is the Disciple and I fell in love with a mutant, a rebel.

And our love is eternal, past death, past the timelines.

We will live on.

We are forever.

**A/N: It's done. It's done, done, done. It only took 64,199 words to get there (longest thing I've ever written). Tomorrow I won't wake up and think 'what ship should I do today?' I'm so happy because this was really stressful and time consuming, but fun anyway. ** **Thank you all so much. This is my first serious fanfiction I've finished. I give each and every one of you a hug via the internet! I'm just so happy I'm done. My birthday's tomorrow and finishing this is the best birthday present ever.**

**Quick Note: I'd love it if you'd leave a review saying your favorite day (Not the ship but the plot line and how it was written and stuff) and maybe why it's your favorite (not necessary). Whichever one gets the most votes becomes its own fic with multiply chapters and crap :D**

**Also special thanks to scatteredPhilosopher who's review everything I've written in this month. You're amazing! You get extra internet hugs! Words can't describe how much I love you! Just…bluh! :)**

** I love you all to death, thank you all so much and I loved this month so much and waking up with a review in my inbox.**

** But I'm never doing this ever again.**

**- Kayla-Peixis**


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